Power Crisis

However, it is not clear how long it will take to restore full supply. Thankfully, this year, temperature hasn’t shot up even though we are now in summer. Recurrent rains over the last two months have washed away spring and brought down the temperature. In fact, people are still using woolens and heating gadgets in homes.So power is needed to keep homes warm. In coming days, the mercury is set to rise necessitating power to keep homes colder. The summer temperatures in J&K can be high, and the power cuts will make it intolerable. Another challenge will be the lack of access to electricity for businesses. Many businesses in J&K rely on electricity to operate, and the power cuts are disrupting their operations.

The reduction in power supply in summer is something that rarely happens in the Valley. Load shedding is problem that is generally identified with winters, especially with the period encompassing December, January and February. From March onwards, the supply generally improves and it is almost uninterrupted through summer and also autumn, before it abates again with the onset of winter. And when such reduction in the supply is understandable due to the drop in discharge in rivers and overall decline in the production of electricity.

True, the reasons for ongoing power cuts are also understandable. Government has cited rising demand,  maintenance issues and coal shortage as the factors forcing extended cuts in the supply. That said, the administration needs to act to ameliorate the situation. More so, at a time when the Valley is experiencing boom in tourism.