Though with the advancement of Annual Amarnath Yatra and unprecedented rise in the tourist arrivals the power supply was should have improved across Jammu & Kashmir particularly in Kashmir Valley but ahead of Annual Amarnath Yatra and amid increasing tourist arrivals power supply does not improve at the fag end of June this year. Daily power cuts in metered as well as non-metered areas during peak summer months is against the routine practice that Government was pursuing from mid May till November end in Kashmir Valley . With 5-8 hours daily power cuts in non metered areas and two hours power cuts each in the afternoon and evening hours taking the total power curtailment timing to four hours a day in metered areas even at the fag end of June this year, the increasing power woes head to no dead end in Kashmir Valley. With unprecedented rise in power tariffs from January this year and payment of power tariff bills by consumers in time the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) has no scope what so ever to take lame excuses for reduced power supply under the garb of increase in revenue deficit due to delays in payment of power tariff bills. Though KPDCL promised round the clock power supply in metered areas after increasing power tariffs in January this year but not to talk of the commitment about round the clock power supply the KPDCL does not even reduce the power cuts from 4 to 2 hours in metered areas and 8 to 4 hours in non metered areas.
“While the power purchasing capacity of the Kashmir Power Development Corporation (KPDCL) has increased due to clearance of pending power tariffs and payment of monthly power tariff bills in time by consumers this year, the KPDCL still blindly blames consumers for increase in power cuts instead of resolving on priority the power availability issues with the Northern Power Grid Corporation”.
While the irrefutable fact is that temperatures in Valley are likely to rise between 33 to 35 degrees Celsius in next two months, the delay in reducing the power cuts won’t only hit tourist activities but would also deprive both the Amarnath Yatris and as well as the tourists of certain basic essential facilities this year. Power availability issues stated to be the cause of increasing power cuts can be resolved by J&K Power Development Corporation Ltd (J&K PDCL) in coordination with Northern Regional Power Grid Corporation but J&K PDCL is yet to take up the issues of power availability with the authorities of Northern Regional Power Grid Corporation. While the power purchasing capacity of the Kashmir Power Development Corporation (KPDCL) has increased due to clearance of pending power tariffs and payment of monthly power tariff bills in time by consumers this year, the KPDCL still blindly blames consumers for increase in power cuts instead of resolving on priority the power availability issues with the Northern Power Grid Corporation.
