Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Nov 19: For the first time, Kashmir valley is witnessing worst power cuts in the month of November even as the chilly part of the winter is yet to set in. The power crisis in Kashmir valley started from the first day of Darbar move to winter capital Jammu.
As per the latest Power Development Department (PDD) schedule, consumers across Kashmir in non-metered areas have to face 59 hours scheduled weekly cuts while those in metered areas have to face 17 hours cut.
The non-metered areas will have to power cuts from 5 am to 8 am twice a week, 5-hour cut thrice a week from 8 am to 1 pm, 5-hour cut from 1 pm to 6 pm four times a week, four hours twice a week cut from 6 pm to 10 pm and seven hour curtailment during night once a week.
The consumers in metered areas would face 3-hour power cut from 5 am to 8 am once a week and a 5-hour each power cut from 8 am to 1 pm and 1 pm to 6 pm once a week and 2-hour power cut each from 6 pm to 8 pm and 8 pm to 10 pm once a week.
Sources in the PDD said that electricity need has risen to 1500 MWs in Kashmir valley this year and PDD gets a supply of 900 MWs from State’s own resources and imports from Northern Grid and is deficient by 600 MWs.
The State owned power houses’ generation these days is 90 MWs, while imports from Uri-I is 250 MWs, Uri-II 110 MWs and Baglihar 250 MWs and rest 200 MWs are being imported from Northern Gird through 220 KV Kishanpore-Pampore transmission line and 400KV Kishanpore-Wagoora-Zainakote transmission line.
The power cuts announced by the PDD cater to 440 MWs and still there is deficiency of 160 MWs which leads to unscheduled power cuts.
Reports from most parts of Kashmir valley said that the PDD is resorting to unscheduled power cuts even in the metered areas where they are supposed to supply power for 24 hours a day.
PDD Chief Engineer, Bashir Ahmad Khan, however, said that there are no unscheduled cuts. “We are presently supplying more power than the curtailment schedule”, he added.
Khan, however, said that due to local problem and system overloading there are unscheduled power cuts in certain areas. While citing example of areas falling under Rawalpora Grid Station in Srinagar, he said “we have to resort to unscheduled cuts in these areas but it would be over by next week once we shift a part of the load to Budgam Grid Station”.
Khan said that the current power need in Valley is 1500 MWs and PDD is supplying 1130 MWs and there is deficiency of only 350 MWs that are being taken care of through the power cuts.
Follow our WhatsApp channel