“In most of the areas prolonged winters, frequent and extended power outages—lasting up to 12 hours—have escalated from a mere inconvenience to a critical crisis affecting health, dignity, and basic survival.”
As winter tightens its grip over Kashmir, pushing temperatures well below freezing, prolonged power shutdowns have once again deepened the suffering of people across the Valley. In many urban areas, electricity cuts stretch up to eight hours, while in several rural pockets they extend to 12 hours or more. For a region where winters are harsh and prolonged, such outages are not a matter of inconvenience but a serious challenge to daily life, health, and basic dignity. Electricity during Kashmir’s winters is not a luxury—it is a survival requirement. From heating homes and preventing water pipelines from freezing to keeping hospitals, schools, and essential services functional, power plays a central role. Long shutdowns during sub-zero temperatures place the elderly, children, and patients at particular risk. Rural households, with limited alternatives to electric heating, bear the brunt of this crisis, making the unequal impact of power cuts all the more troubling. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that winter power demand is predictable, and therefore manageable—provided preparation is done well in advance. This is where the administration has repeatedly fallen short. Planning and strengthening of infrastructure should be prioritised during the summer months, when demand is lower. Maintenance of grids, upgrading of transformers, reduction of transmission losses, and securing adequate power supply arrangements must be completed before winter sets in. Logically, power cuts should be fewer in winter and adjusted, if at all, during summer, not the other way around. However, a balanced discussion also requires acknowledging the responsibility of consumers. Rampant power theft, illegal connections, overloading of transformers, and misuse of electricity for commercial purposes under domestic tariffs significantly strain an already fragile system. When electricity is used illegally or wastefully, the burden ultimately falls on honest consumers through longer outages and infrastructure damage.
“To ensure a reliable power system during Kashmir’s harsh winters, the government must prioritize a “winter-first” policy through proactive summer planning and infrastructure investment. This strategy requires a dual approach: strict enforcement against power theft alongside public awareness for efficient usage. By ensuring transparent, fair distribution, authorities can fulfill the basic necessity of winter electricity and rebuild consumer trust.”
Ensuring reliable power supply is not the government’s responsibility alone; citizens must also use electricity in a lawful and responsible manner. The economic and social fallout of prolonged power cuts is evident. Small businesses, bakeries, workshops, and home-based enterprises struggle to function, while students preparing for exams are forced to study in dimly lit rooms. Digital governance and online education suffer, widening the gap between promise and reality. Compounding the problem is the lack of transparent and consistent load-shedding schedules, which leaves people unable to plan even basic household routines. The solution lies in a shared approach. The government must adopt a winter-first power policy, ensuring maximum supply during the coldest months through better planning and investment. At the same time, strict action against power theft, coupled with public awareness campaigns on legal and efficient electricity use, is essential. Transparent communication and fair distribution can help rebuild trust between authorities and consumers. Kashmir’s winters are unforgiving, but prolonged power outages are not inevitable. With better summer preparation, reduced winter cuts, and responsible public usage, the Valley can move toward a more reliable and humane power system—one that recognises electricity in winter not as a privilege, but as a basic necessity.
