Srinagar- At a time when Kashmir is grappling with a serious power crisis, the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) said Wednesday that the power woes will end by 2025 once the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) is operational in the Valley.
Javed Yousuf, Chief engineer, KPDCL told Kashmir Observer that the department has been working on the plan for the last couple of years and that 50 percent of the work has already been completed so far.
“Once the project is completed, the power woes are most likely to end,” he said, adding that the project is likely to be completed in 2025.
Notably, the government of India approved the RDSS to help DISCOMs improve their operational efficiencies and financial sustainability by providing result-linked financial assistance to DISCOMs to strengthen supply infrastructure based on meeting pre-qualifying criteria and achieving basic minimum benchmarks.
The scheme aims to meet the following objectives: Reduction of AT&C losses to pan-India levels of 12-15% by 2024-25, reduction of ACS-ARR gap to zero by 2024-25, improvement in the quality, reliability and affordability of power supply to consumers through a financially sustainable and operationally efficient distribution sector.
Dar told Kashmir Observer that the Central Government has approved Rs 2300 crore under RDSS for Kashmir to overhaul power infrastructure in both urban and rural areas to ensure regular electricity supply to the Union Territory.
In September, this year the Administrative Council (AC) under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha approved the engagement of project implementation agency (PIA) for the RDSS in J&K.
The decision is directed towards attaining complete implementation of smart prepaid consumer metering and comprehensive system metering.
These meters will incorporate communication features with the goal of minimizing AT&C losses, thereby enhancing operational efficiencies and ensuring the financial sustainability of DISCOMs.
It may be noted that this year as well, the valley is facing unprecedented power cuts in both metered and non-metered areas.
In October, the KPDCL issued a new power schedule announcing 4.30 hours power curtailment in metered areas on a daily basis and 8-hour power cuts in non-metered areas. However, the current curtailments schedule for metered areas is 4:30 hours while non-meters are six hours.
Dar, however, told Kashmir Observer that until the people don’t use the electricity judiciously, the power crisis will remain there.
“People use blowers, heaters, boilers and other heating gadgets at a time which results in high demand of electricity—thus more load shedding,” Dar said, adding “the RDSS will end all the issues,”
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