The power transformer repair workshops have now virtually turned defunct as the power transformers sent for repairs to these workshops burst within minutes of their reinstallation in the concerned. In last two months two incidents about the bursting of repaired power transformers were reported in last two months- one repaired power transformer bursted within minutes of its re-installation in Malla Bagh Tawheedabad locality in Hazratbal constituency in last month,i.e, November and the other repaired power transformer bursted within minutes of re-installation in a private housing colony located in the vicinity of Noora Hospital opposite Dilshan hotel on Srinagar-Baramulla highway. The bursting of power transformers mostly caused by random use of heating appliances has been complicating the power supply in Kashmir valley for the last several decades but after the repairs the transformer were very rarely bursting within short time. Strangely now the power transformers are bursting within minutes of installation after repairs and as such the minister incharge power who also holds the position of Deputy Chief Minister and Chief Engineer Kashmir Shahnaz Goni are bound to seek explanations from the authorities overseeing the working of the power transformer depots in Srinagar and other districts of Kashmir valley for their failures in completely repairing the damaged power transformers. Though the possibilities of the bursting of power transformers should have been comparatively very less after the installation of power reading meters but power transformers still burst due to negligence of the field staff of the power development in stopping the unlawful practices of power consumption by consumers in majority of the areas. Though Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh visited Kashmir valley early this month and reviewed the power distribution system at a high level meeting but the issues of repairing the damaged power transformers effectively in short time are yet to be resolved.
The working of the power transformer repair workshops and the regulation of unlawful power consuming practices by the consumers are the two issues which deserve the attention of both the Deputy Chief Minister as minister incharge power development department and Chief Engineer Kashmir as otherwise the power crisis can’t be controlled with cosmetic measures which fail to improve the power availability due to poor implementation of the decision taken by the government from time to time.
The authorities overseeing the working of power transformer repair workshops are so non serious about the effective repairs of the damaged transformers that majority of populations upset by the frequent bursting of the power transformer are asked to raise local donations for paying the charges needed for rapairing the transformers. The working of the power transformer repair workshops and the regulation of unlawful power consuming practices by the consumers are the two issues which deserve the attention of both the Deputy Chief Minister as minister incharge power development department and Chief Engineer Kashmir as otherwise the power crisis can’t be controlled with cosmetic measures which fail to improve the power availability due to poor implementation of the decision taken by the government from time to time.
