WITH THE ONSET OF WINTER KASHMIR IS BRACING FOR COLD AND DARK IN ABSENCE OF ELECTRICITY WINTER THIS YEAR.
With the increase in cold, authorities have come out with a power curtailment programme. According to the curtailment programme, there would be a power curtailment of 4 and a half hours in 24 hours in metered areas while the non metered areas will be facing about 8 hours power cuts.
However, the residents in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley are complaining that the power development department is already resorting to lengthy and pesky power cuts and the power curtailments will further increase with the passage of time.Ads by
The snowfall in upper reaches and rains in plains has brought down the temperature in the Valley, leading to increase in cold. People are wearing warm and woolen clothes including jackets, sweaters and pherans to keep themselves warm. The MeT has predicted another spell of snowfall and rainfall in the Valley from
November 19.
Residents in metered and non-metered areas have complained about frequent power outages, accusing the PDD, which is responsible for the transmission and distribution of electricity in the Valley, of failing to provide adequate power.
The PDD, on the other hand, says that as the temperature dropped, energy demand increase, resulting in overloading and power outages. “With the colder weather, most households are turning to electric blowers, power blankets, heaters, geysers, and other warming devices,” a PDD official said. “This has resulted in a spike in demand and overloading, forcing the department to resort to unscheduled power cuts”, he added.
Power outages have become a source of concern for students whose exams are approaching and their studies are being hampered by frequent power outages. “The power outages are cause of concern because they are interfering with our studies. Preparing without electricity is extremely difficult. The drop in temperature has exacerbated our situation. People have expressed their displeasure with the power outages, claiming that they are forced to spend the majority of their time in the dark because “electricity plays hide and seek. This is how they spend the majority of their time these days.The patients who are on oxygen support rely on electricity and are the worst sufferers. The COVID hasn’t ended yet, and some people are still on oxygen support, but the machines run on electricity.
Even in the metered areas – the people complain, particularly the ones who have their businesses bearing the brunt.Complaints of erratic power supply are being received from across the valley, including the summer capital Srinagar. People say that the power scenario is akin to mid-winters when bad weather and receding water levels adversely affect the power supply.The power schedule is not being followed in either the metered or the unmetered areas. There are short durations of power supply amid hours of load shedding.And the same is the scenario in other areas of the city.The rest of Kashmir is no better. People from the south and north Kashmir districts have the same sorry stories about the power supply to tell.
The residents said that a couple of hours of supply was being curtailed in the name of grid shutdown, and another hour in the name of rotation. And then after waiting three long hours, what we get in the name of power supply is a mere fifteen minutes. The power supply has gone to the dogs they complain.
Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Baramulla, Budgam – people from every district are complaining of the same. And the situation is getting worse every passing day,” the people said.
The worst affected are the unit holders and small-time industrialists of Kashmir, who are seeing their crucial work hours going down the drain. “We are supposed to get an uninterrupted power supply, but we are facing a severe brunt in the wake of a pathetic power scenario. We are paying our workers in full, while they are able to work for not more than half a day,” an industrial unit holder said.
Others, this reporter talked to, had similar woes saying that their manufacturing has been severely dented while they are paying the labourers in full. Offices, private or government owned, are also suffering.
“The moment you enter a government office, they have the power excuse ready for you and the work remains pending for another day,” sources in the administration said.
However the top officials of Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL) maintain that they have increased the power supply to 1600 megawatts but the demand has increased as the winter is approaching.
“Since people use a lot of electronic gadgets in the valley to beat the cold, the demand has increased,” Chief Engineer KPDCL, Javed Yousuf Dar told media. A junior engineer from the KPDCL said that the Jammu and Kashmir has the potential to generate around 20,000 megawatts of hydel power but generates only around 1200 megawatts.But in winters the UT is able to generate only 300 MW of electricity against the demand of over 1800 MW’s,” he said.The officials blame rainfall deficit and the melting of glaciers as the reason for less generation of electricity.Since there was less rainfall and the glaciers melt very fast in summers only, we are unable to generate the power,” he added.
According to the meteorological department, the Union Territory recorded -40.92 percent less rainfall than normal this year.
The data available shows that the Jammu region received just 2.1 mm of rain this year, as compared to 66 mm in the past. Similarly, Srinagar—the summer capital, received just 21.3 mm of rainfall against 117.6 mm that it received last year.
The data clearly indicates that every district of the valley witnessed a rainfall deficit.Another official said that currently the water level in Jhelum and other tributaries are low and they are unable to generate electricity.In such conditions we have to go for peaking, in the daytime we wait for water to accumulate and then run the turbine during the peak hours,” the official said.
It may be noted that the UT presently has 20 hydroelectric projects with installed capacity of 758.70 MW located in various districts.
The main contributor among these projects is the Baglihar power project built on Chenab River in the Doda district. The project has a total capacity of 900 MW.
Sumbal power project generates 17 MWs, then the Kangan power project and Lower Jhelum project generate 105 MW respectively. The Upper Sindh-I generates 22.6 MW, Upper Sindh-II, Kangan produces 105MWs, Old-Ganderbal power project generates 15 MWs, Pahalgam Power house 4.5 and Karnah power house is able to produce 02 MWs only.
In Jammu province, the Chenani-I Hydroelectric Project generates 23.30, while Chenani-II—02 MWs and Chenani-III generates 7.5 MWs. Bhaderwah power project generates 1.5 MWs while Seva project—III generates only 9 MW.
The other projects fall in Ladakh UT. While other projects are under control of National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC)
All these projects don’t cover the demand of the electricity in the winters due to “less water” in the UT and as a result the PDD has to purchase the electricity from the Central grid, New Delhi.
According to sources, one unit of power that is generated in the UT costs only 40 paisa while the same unit is being purchased at 6 Rs from New Delhi.
“So you can understand if we will be able to generate all the power within the UT, it will be very cheap,” the official added.
Pertinently, the J&K government is planning to generate hydroelectric power with projects of over 6300 MW capacity in pipeline for making UT of J&K power surplus.
