Srinagar- Despite explicit instructions from Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to adhere to the winter curtailment schedule, consumers in smart metered areas report ‘unscheduled’ power cuts lasting between five to seven hours a day.
Irked by the frequent power cuts, consumers have urged the Power Development Department (PDD) to at least adhere to its own curtailment schedule in smart metered areas.
“We still have to put up with annoying power cuts for five to seven hours a day, even though we pay high electricity bills. The installation of smart meters in our area dates back around two years, yet the worsening electricity situation continues to haunt us,” said Mohammad Imran, a resident of Rajbagh, Srinagar.
He pointed out that the power supply was significantly better during the winter months when their area didn’t have smart meters installed.
“Since people in smart metered areas do not resort to hooking, or use heaters and boilers, then what forces PDD to disobey its own power curtailment schedule? If we were promised 24 hour electricity following smart meter installation, why do we face frequent power cuts?” Imran questioned.
Consumers from other smart metered areas of Srinagar including Peerbagh, Hyderpora, Parraypora, Bhagat, Barzulla, Goripora, Bemina, Gagribal, Boulevard Road, Jawahar Nagar, Wazir Bagh, Lal Mandi, Karan Nagar, Nishat, Shalimar and Harwan have voiced similar concerns over the intermittent power cuts.
Principal Secretary, PDD J&K, Rajesh Prasad said that the overall power supply in Kashmir has improved and the disruption in power supply in metered areas might be attributed to faults in the feeders.
“No, this shouldn’t happen in metered areas at least. The department does not resort to power cuts, but this might happen due to the fault in feeders. I will look into the issue, and people in the smart metered areas who face power cuts can forward their locations for early redressal of the problem,” Prasad told Kashmir Observer.
In rural districts such as Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag, and Kulgam, where power consumption has considerably dropped following the installation of smart meters, residents have appealed to the government to ensure sufficient supply of electricity.
“Smart meters in Kashmir did not work, I think, which is why the authorities frequently resort to power cuts. We endure annoying power outages and the PDD continues to make tall claims of having improved the supply,” Mohammad Sidiq Bala, a consumer from Devsar area of Kulgam district said.
He said that the government had promised them of a 24 -hour power supply after the installation of smart meters.
“However two years have passed and the situation has worsened since then,” Bala said, adding “This is sheer injustice to consumers who pay their monthly bills on time and use power judiciously,”
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