“Unscheduled power cuts in Kashmir violate official schedules, disrupting daily life and making unreliable electricity a key test of administrative accountability”.
Kashmir’s power crisis has once again become a source of growing frustration for the people, with frequent and unscheduled electricity cuts disrupting daily life across the Valley. Despite the existence of an announced power curtailment schedule, consumers in several areas complain that the prescribed timings are not being followed, leaving households, businesses, students and essential service providers struggling to cope with an increasingly unreliable electricity supply. The issue is no longer limited to the availability of electricity during peak winter months. It has become a question of accountability, planning and the administration’s ability to ensure that the public receives the services for which it pays. When a power schedule is announced, people naturally expect it to be followed. Repeated deviations from the announced timings undermine public confidence and make it difficult for families to organise their daily routines. Electricity is not a luxury in modern life. It is an essential service that supports education, healthcare, communication, commerce and household activities. In a region where winter temperatures can fall sharply and heating requirements increase significantly, reliable electricity becomes even more important. Unscheduled cuts during the colder months can create serious difficulties, particularly for children, elderly people, patients and families who depend on electrical appliances for their basic needs. The impact of the crisis extends well beyond residential areas. Small businesses, shopkeepers, workshops and other commercial establishments depend on a steady power supply to keep their operations running. Frequent interruptions affect productivity, increase operating costs and cause financial losses. Business owners are often forced to rely on generators or other backup arrangements, adding to their expenses at a time when the cost of living and doing business is already placing considerable pressure on ordinary people. Students preparing for examinations are among those most affected by erratic electricity supply. For many families, particularly those without reliable backup facilities, prolonged and unexpected power cuts mean disrupted study hours and additional stress. In an increasingly competitive academic environment, uninterrupted access to lighting, internet connectivity and electronic learning resources is essential. Authorities must recognise that unreliable electricity can have consequences for educational opportunities and students’ performance. The most immediate public demand, however, is straightforward: if a curtailment schedule has been issued, why is it not being followed? People may understand that electricity generation, transmission constraints, increased demand and other technical factors can create genuine challenges. What they find difficult to accept is the absence of predictability. A clearly communicated schedule allows consumers to prepare for interruptions, manage essential activities and plan their day accordingly. Unannounced cuts take away that basic certainty. The authorities responsible for power distribution must therefore explain the gap between announced schedules and the actual supply situation. If prevailing circumstances make the existing schedule impossible to implement, the public deserves a revised timetable supported by transparent information. Keeping people informed is not merely a public-relations exercise; it is an essential part of responsible administration. The Government and the concerned power department must also examine whether the present infrastructure is adequately equipped to meet demand.
“To restore public trust, Kashmir’s power authorities must move beyond paper schedules and demonstrate real accountability by providing a reliable electricity supply, realistic curtailment schedules, and transparent communication”.
Overloaded distribution transformers, ageing transmission lines, technical faults, poor maintenance and inefficient demand management can contribute to disruptions. These issues require sustained investment, timely repairs and long-term planning rather than temporary measures introduced only when public complaints intensify. At the same time, consumers must be encouraged to use electricity responsibly. Avoiding unnecessary consumption, using energy-efficient appliances and reducing wastage can help ease pressure on the system. However, public cooperation cannot become an excuse for administrative shortcomings. Conservation and responsible consumption must go hand in hand with efficient distribution, infrastructure improvement and accountability. The Government must adopt a time-bound approach to addressing the crisis. Regular monitoring of power supply, prompt repair of damaged infrastructure, effective management of peak demand and public disclosure of actual supply conditions should form part of a comprehensive strategy. Authorities should also establish an effective grievance-redressal mechanism so that consumers can report persistent violations of the announced schedule and receive timely responses. Most importantly, the concerned departments must communicate honestly with the public. If there is a shortage, explain its extent. If technical failures are responsible, identify the problems and announce corrective measures. If additional restrictions become unavoidable, issue a revised schedule and adhere to it as far as operational circumstances permit. Silence and uncertainty only deepen public resentment. Kashmir’s electricity problems cannot be resolved through announcements alone. They require practical action, transparent administration and a clear commitment to improving the reliability of supply. The public has repeatedly adjusted its expectations to accommodate the challenges faced by the power sector. It is now time for the authorities to demonstrate that they are equally committed to meeting their responsibilities. Ultimately, the issue is about more than electricity. It is about public trust. A government that announces a schedule must make every reasonable effort to honour it, and a department entrusted with an essential service must remain answerable when that service repeatedly falls short. The people of Kashmir are not demanding the impossible. They are asking for a reliable electricity supply, a realistic power curtailment schedule and transparency when circumstances change. These are reasonable expectations, not unreasonable demands. The question that remains is simple: if the announced power schedule cannot be followed, what purpose does it serve? Kashmir needs solutions, not merely schedules on paper.
