SRINAGAR: Kashmir is reeling under acute power shortage, with people facing extreme inconvenience due to daily outages up to 16 hours at a time when temperatures in the Valley have dipped to sub-zero levels.
Even hospitals are bearing the brunt of the crisis while industries as well as other crucial sectors in J&K are suffering, too.
According to sources, Kashmir has not witnessed such a scenario since 2004, when people had to face power cuts up to 18 hours a day.
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Facing flak from opposition leaders, trade bodies and other sections of people over the dire situation, the LG administration is said to have set up a committee earlier this week to purchase electricity from the Northern Grid. However, there has been no respite so far.
According to authorities, the current situation is a result of electricity generation hitting a record low this season due to various factors.
H Rajesh Prasad, the principal secretary in the power development department (PDD), said at press conference on Friday the demand in J&K had increased to 3,200 MWs while electricity generation in the UT was currently 85% lower compared to the summer season — 150 MWs, as against 1,050 MWs in summers.
Production in J&K’s power plants usually decreases during winters because of the freezing temperatures. A PDD official said the electricity generation this winter had been further hit by a prolonged dry spell in Kashmir.
Prasad claimed the administration had taken some long-term measures, including comprehensive infrastructure upgrade, to ensure adequate capacities were created and such a situation was not repeated during winters in future, but added it would take time to implement them.
For now, the Valley continues to grapple with power disruptions, which has led to an outcry. People have been holding demonstrations and various political parties also took out protest marches.
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry lamented that despite assurances from authorities, the situation had not only failed to improve but had taken a turn for the worse. In a statement, KCCI chairman Javid Tenga said the “stark reality underscores the urgent need for immediate action” as the current crisis was causing substantial losses to industry, tourism, handicrafts, trade, healthcare and other sectors, besides causing immense hardships to the ailing, children and elderly.
The prolonged blackouts come at a time when mercury continues to plummet every day in Kashmir. Srinagar recorded -1.0°C on Saturday, and the season’s lowest of -1.8°C on November 22.