“Incentives to people of low income groups for installing rooftop solar system could in fact further popularise the trend of rooftop solar system in Jammu & Kashmir.”
Though grievances against the power curtailment schedules during mid winter period heads to no dead end in Jammu & Kashmir but the trend to install rooftop solar system in both residential and as well as commercial complexes is gaining momentum in the cities and towns in both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division. The announcement of Chief Secretary Attal Dulloo to install rooftop solar systems on all Government buildings early this month is in fact further deepening the interest of the people in the installation of rooftop solar system in cities and towns across Jammu & Kashmir. Interestingly the increasing trend of installing rooftop solar system spreading fast in cities and towns won’t only reduce the electricity bills of the people of low income groups in Jammu & Kashmir but it will also hugely reduce the fears of long duration power cuts during peak winter months in Kashmir Valley and in peak summer months in Jammu division. Incentives to people of low income groups for installing rooftop solar system could in fact further popularise the trend of rooftop solar system in Jammu & Kashmir. Undoubtedly the full solarisation of Government buildings as announced by Chief Secretary is a move to popularise the solar power system in Jammu & Kashmir but the onus of spreading the trend of solar power systems to both residential and as well as business houses lies again on the Government. Harnessing solar energy won’t only bring respite to the local populations from long duration power cuts but it will also further the causes of hassle free power supply to both the local populations and as well as tourists at key tourist places during peak summer months in Kashmir Valley. Though a national Portal for installation of rooftop solar system has been launched way back in July 2022 with the intent of making it easy for residential consumers to apply for installation of the system, but due to lack of awareness among the people the response is not as huge as it should have been. Till now less than hundred households would have probably installed rooftop solar system in Jammu & Kashmir and the trend is not spreading fast in rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir obviously due to lack of awareness.
“For stablising the power distribution system in Jammu & Kashmir it has become imperative for the Jammu & Kashmir Government to make the grid-connected solar rooftop power system affordable and manageable equally for the households of the urban and remotest of the remote rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir. This will not only further the causes of hassle free power supply to power consumers but will also further the causes of handling peak loads and reduce transmission and distribution losses during peak winter periods in Kashmir Valley and in mid summer months in Jammu division.”
The solar power system if introduced with a greater focus would illuminate not only cities, towns and tourist places in Jammu & Kashmir but it would also illuminate the remotest of the remote areas where the electricity supply remains cut off for most of the time during the day during peak winter period of “ Chilla-i-Kalan” despite the government’s claims about improvement in the flow of power supply during mid winter periods in Jammu & Kashmir . For stablising the power distribution system in Jammu & Kashmir it has become imperative for the Jammu & Kashmir Government to make the grid-connected solar rooftop power system affordable and manageable equally for the households of the urban and remotest of the remote rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir. This will not only further the causes of hassle free power supply to power consumers but will also further the causes of handling peak loads and reduce transmission and distribution losses during peak winter periods in Kashmir Valley and in mid summer months in Jammu division.
