Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Dec 10: Despite directions from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, unscheduled power cuts continue across Kashmir, causing immense hardships to people of the Valley during the harsh winter.
Residents from various parts of the Valley told the ‘Excelsior’ that although the Power Development Department has issued a curtailment schedule, the authorities are not adhering to it and are resorting to unscheduled power cuts.
Nisar Ahmad from Eidgah in Srinagar said that unscheduled power outages are rampant. “Yesterday, the power supply was supposed to resume at 10 pm, but it did not last,” he said.
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“Even when the supply was restored on time, it barely continued for 10 minutes before being interrupted again. It was only resumed after an hour,” he added.
Farooq Ahmad from Bagh-e-Mehtab, a metered area, also reported frequent unscheduled outages. “While the power supply is ensured to some extent, these unplanned cuts persist even in metered areas,” he said.
A resident of Omar Abad HMT, Nazir Ahmad, told Excelsior that their area is witnessing unscheduled power cuts despite being a metered area. “At times there are several half-an-hour unscheduled power cuts in a day beyond scheduled cuts. It is unbearable when temperatures are several notches below zero degree Celsius,” he said.
According to the curtailment schedule issued by the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), metered areas are supposed to face a four-hour curtailment, while non-metered areas endure up to eight hours.
However, locals said that outages far exceed the scheduled limits in both metered and non-metered areas.
Residents from Khankah Bagh in Pampore shared a similar ordeal of unscheduled power cuts. A similar situation prevails in districts like Ganderbal, Budgam and Baramulla.
A resident from a non-metered area in Budgam reported that the power supply, scheduled from 3 pm to 6 pm yesterday, only resumed at 5:45 pm and was cut off again at 6 pm for another curtailment period.
In Ganderbal, residents also reported unplanned outages, while similar complaints were echoed by people in Baramulla town and its outskirts. They highlighted not only frequent cuts but also significant voltage fluctuations.
In Baramulla, areas facing persistent power issues include Kandi, Sheeri, Fatehgarh, Malpora, Heevan, Dangerpora, Ushkara, Chardari, Rangwar, Kanlibagh, Dewanbagh and Millait Colony.
In Bandipora, affected areas include Quilmuqam, Athmulla, Onagam, Nadihal, Chattray, Argam and others.
In Handwara, the areas facing issues include Karlgund, Gund Chobtera, Hanga, Kalamabad, Kukroos, Doolipora, Hafrada, Sarmarg, Rajwara, Waderbala and others.
Reports also suggest that PDD has requested for more power to reduce the distress and unscheduled power cuts in Kashmir amid rising demand.
On the other hand, the authorities stated that areas equipped with advanced metering systems and insulated cables are already receiving round-the-clock electricity, attributing disruptions in other areas primarily to “power theft.”
To address these issues, inspections in identified areas have been intensified, and necessary actions are being taken against violators, officials said.
Regarding the availability of electricity, the Power Development Department (PDD) said that an additional 100 MW of power has been supplied to the Kashmir region during this winter season compared to the same period last year.
Providing a detailed breakdown, the department noted that there was an average power supply of 1,388 MW in 2023-24, which increased to 1,489 MW in 2024-25 between November 16 and 30, reflecting an additional supply of 101 MW.
Similarly, from December 1 to 4, the supply rose from 1,465 MW in 2023-24 to 1,525 MW in 2024-25, registering an increase of 60 MW.
Furthermore, between December 4 and 8, the average power supply rose from 1,450 MW in 2023-24 to 1,595 MW in 2024-25, showing an additional supply of 145 MW.
The PDD highlighted that, in a significant relief for the public, the Ministry of Power allocated 300 MW of firm power to Jammu and Kashmir on November 7, 2024, to meet the winter demand.
While emphasizing the Government’s commitment to ensuring a 24×7 power supply, the PDD appealed to the public to use electricity judiciously and minimize wastage, particularly by avoiding high-power-consuming appliances such as crude water heaters.
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