Power ‘moves’ with Durbar!

Power scenario across Kashmir is worsening with each passing day, with the Power Development Department coming under fire for “violating” its own curtailment schedule.

For the past few weeks, consumers have been hitting roads to protest against the long and unscheduled power cuts across the Valley, including the summer capital Srinagar.

The arbitrary cuts have gone up after the Durbar (the seat of governance) shifted to Jammu earlier this month and the situation has worsened equally in rural Kashmir as well as townships and cities.

Both metered and non-metered consumers are bearing the brunt as energy demand usually shoots up in Kashmir with the onset of winter.

“Let the Power Department at least stick to its own schedule. We are not asking for more,” said Shafaat Hussain of Chanapora locality here.

In the past one week, people have been staging protests in different localities of Srinagar and across rural areas over long power cuts while the Government and PDD has failed to address their concerns.

“Not only have the duration of power cuts increased manifold, there is drastic fall in the voltage as well,” said Mushtaq Ahmad of Hazratbal. “The department plays hide and seek with power during the evening hours when we expect the service to be better.”

Earlier this month, the Power Development Department revised the schedule, increasing the curtailment to total of nine hours a day in non-metered areas, while the power supply has also been erratic in metered areas where the government is otherwise bound to provide round-the-clock electricity.

The power scenario has been deteriorating despite Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and the Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti repeatedly directing the PDD to ensure hassle-free power supply to Kashmir in view of the onset of winter.

“The politicians only make announcements. Ours is a metered area but every day we are subjected to power cuts from early morning for almost entire day, with supplies being restored for 10 to 20 minutes in between. The power department is not sticking to any schedule,” said Nissar Ahmad of Mominabad, Batmaloo.

The situation is equally worse in rural areas of Kashmir which are mostly non-metered. Most of the villages and townships face long cuts.  “Every year we are assured of better power supply but the situation instead worsens,” said Muhammad Hanief of Baramulla town. “They (authorities) resort to power cuts as per their own wishes in our locality.”  Sources in the PDD said the “extended curtailment schedule” has been framed as per the availability of electricity.

“In winter when the local generation dips drastically, it puts pressure on available power supply and widening gap is overcome by resorting to unscheduled and arbitrarily cuts,” they said.

“The fact is that there is shortage of power which forces us to go for cuts,\” said the sources.

Chief Engineer (MN&RE) Bashir Ahmad Khan said against the load agreement of 1000 MW in all categories including domestic and commercial and others, the department is supplying over 1200-MW.

“The unrestricted demand has grown beyond 1600-MW against the load agreement of less than 1000-MW and that is forcing us to go for cuts,” he told. “People should realize that the judicious use of power can help improve the scenario. The department can provide better and continuous supply during peak hours (6 pm to 11 pm and 5 am to 8 am) if people cooperate with the department and make better use of supplies.”

A senior official acknowledged that there were also “system constraints” which were forcing the department to go for more curtailments.