“Winter is over and summer has almost begun with the opening of schools and commencement of examination but long duration power cuts rising unprecedentedly day after day head to no dead end”
Long duration power cuts are undoubtedly not new to Kashmir but are surely new to people in Kashmir during the holy month of Ramadan. While hassle free power supply used to be a priority for Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) till last year, the unprecedented rise in the power cuts during the holly of Ramadan shows that KPDCL does not take seriously the increasing grievances of the consumers about power cuts during Sehri and Iftar times besides Taraweeh prayers in the mosques even in the holy month of Ramadan. Power cuts are usually reduced after mid winter periods and restored fully by March end but this year unprecedented rise in power cuts are allowed to persist and there are no explanations from the KPDC authorities overseeing the distribution of power in Kashmir valley. Winter is over and summer has almost begun with the opening of schools and commencement of examination but long duration power cuts rising unprecedentedly day after day head to no dead end in both metered and non metered areas of Kashmir Valley. As tourist season is about to commence in Kashmir, the continuity in pesky power cuts are more worrying for hoteliers and transporters than the common consumers in Kashmir Valley. The unprecedented rise in the power cuts equally also put students to a great deal of inconvenience as their annual examination have already commenced in Kashmir Valley. 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.
“May be that Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) is within it’s rights 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 continue power cuts in both metered and non metered even after the winter period and even in the holly month of Ramadan in Sehri and Iftar times.”
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. May be that Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) is within it’s rights 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 continue power cuts in both metered and non metered even after the winter period and even in the holly month of Ramadan in Sehri and Iftar times.
