“The grievance of consumers is not only about unprecedented rise in unscheduled power cuts but also about reduced voltage which has been haunting power consumers throughout this year’s winter season in Kashmir Valley”
Hardly a week after the first heavy snowfall of this year’s winter the unscheduled power cuts in Kashmir continuing for more than a fortnight have finally led to the announcement of a revised power cut schedule in a day or two by the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL). While usually power supply starts improving from the fag end of winter in February in Kashmir Valley, the sudden rise in power cuts has surprisingly led to the announcement of a revised power cut schedule by the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) at the fag end of this year’s winter season. While the power cut schedule of 8-12 hours is already in force since October end in Kashmir Valley, the announcement of a revised power cut schedule by Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) just to further increase the timing of power cuts for both metered and non metered areas has sent shocking waves across Kashmir. Shockingly the grievance of consumers is not only about unprecedented rise in unscheduled power cuts but also about reduced voltage which has been haunting power consumers throughout this year’s winter season in Kashmir Valley. May be that Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) is within it’s right to attribute this year’s increasing power cuts both in metered and non metered areas to this year’s unprecedented dry spell but it does not give KPDCL a license to further reduce power supply in metered and non metered areas from 12 and 8 hours to somewhere between 14-12 hours a day respectively. While the harshest period of winter is over the announcement of further rise in power cuts at the fag end of this year’s winter season is likely to take heavy toll of both the commercial and non-commercial consumers across Kashmir . In fact people would be happy if both Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) and as well as Jammu Power Development Corporation Ltd (JPDCL) would segregate domestic and commercial power connections for the purposes of smoothening the power distribution system both in Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division.
“Unfortunately even the consumers brought on pre-paid billing mode under smart metering system don’t get the power as per the curtailment schedule of KPDCL not to talk about commitment of round the clock power supply to such consumers. More over Urban-Rural inequalities in power distribution system be it the matter of unscheduled power cuts or the reduced voltage during winters is yet another grievance left unattended and unaddressed during two and a half month long winter period by the KPDCL in Kashmir and JPDCL in Jammu.”
While unscheduled power cuts not only disturb the delivery of essential services in hospitals but also put consumers particularly students to a great deal of inconvenience ahead of the commencement of their annual examinations, the business operations are likely to take a big hit by any further increase in the power curtailment schedule ahead of this year tourist season in Kashmir valley. Unfortunately this time also the inability of the J&K Power Development Department to buy more power from the Power Grid Corporation and purchase more gas turbines is as usual being attributed to non cooperation in collection of power tariff bill by the consumers in both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division . While the fact remains that after bringing 50% of J&K under metering system there is very little scope left for either the KPDCL or JPDCL to blame revenue loss for it’s inability to reduce increasing power cuts in either Kashmir Valley or Jammu division. Unfortunately even the consumers brought on pre-paid billing mode under smart metering system don’t get the power as per the curtailment schedule of KPDCL not to talk about commitment of round the clock power supply to such consumers. More over Urban-Rural inequalities in power distribution system be it the matter of unscheduled power cuts or the reduced voltage during winters is yet another grievance left unattended and unaddressed during two and a half month long winter period by the KPDCL in Kashmir and JPDCL in Jammu.
