Ganderbal, Bandipora districts worst hit
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Feb 2: With hundreds of transformers developing snag due to overloading in different parts of Kashmir, the Valley is reeling under severe power crisis at present and it seems that the authorities at the helm of affairs have no alternative in sight to overcome the crisis.
The power crisis coupled with chilly winter has made the condition of people miserable in different parts of the Valley. As per reports even in those areas where the transformers are in working condition people were facing power cuts of long duration and low voltage problem.
According to sources, the condition in Srinagar city and some towns is a bit different while the rural belt both in South, Central and North Kashmir are reeling under severe power crisis this time.
Sources said alone in Ganderbal district of Central Kashmir scores of transformers have been damaged due to overloading during this winter and the problem has taken critical turn as the Department failed to restore repair them on emergency basis. The damaged transformers remained in workshops of M&RE Wing of PDD for weeks together or more for repairs. The delegations of people drawn from far flung villages report at the workshops daily to know whether the transformers of their area have been repaired but they returned empty hands later, sources added.
Some times even clashes took place between different groups of people visiting the workshops for repairs of the transformers, sources said, adding the situation is so horrible that in some villages there is complete blackout for weeks together as the Department has failed to repair the damaged transformers which are lying in queue in the workshops to be repaired on turn basis.
Sources said the people’s queries are not being answered by the officials in the workshops and they are told that there is no magic wand in their (employees) hands so the people should come on their turn which may come after a fortnight or more.
Sources said the Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal is worst hit where scores of transformers in the villages of Shalbug, Rabitar, Kulan Gund tehsil, Laar, Manigam, Tulmulla , Wakoora, Barnbug , Khanan Batwinee as well as other more villages are facing total breakdown of power for weeks together.
In Bandipora district of North Kashmir, the problem is no better as dozens of villages have plunged into darkness due to break down of transformers. Sources said Sudarkot Bala, Hakbara, Ajas, Putmohalla, Gulshan Mohalla, Sodnara and Ashtanmohala Sadnara reeled under acute power crisis after the breaking down of transformers there.
Ali Mohammed Malla of Shalbug, Ghulam Rasool Baba of Tulmulla, Abdul Rehman Hajam of Kangan, Mohammed Subhan Dar of Laar, Parvez Ahmed Mir of Batwinee, Javed Ahmed Dar of Khanpora and Nazir Ahmed of Satrun Kangan said that their areas were without power supply for weeks together and no body at the helm of affairs is bothered to listen to their woes. They said power crisis coupled with chilly Winter has compounded the problems of the people in these villages.
They accused the PDD authorities of failure in taking appropriate steps in getting the damaged transformers repaired on war footing basis. They alleged that there is shortage of manpower in the workshops due to which the Department has failed to cope up with the situation.
People also alleged that in the areas where the transformers are in working condition people faced low voltage and unscheduled power cuts. There are over 12 hour power cuts in some areas, said Prof Zaman Azoorda, a renowned scholar. He said though situation is a bit better in the city and towns but rural people are worst sufferers of power crisis.
In K B Pora and Jaibal villages of Noorabad in Kulgam district of South Kashmir, people are facing totally blackout due to break down of transformers , said Rehana, Sarpanch Damhal Hanjipora in Kulgam district. She said low voltage and long duration power cuts are other problems which worried people. She said the power remained off for more than 12 hours in the rural belt of Noorabad Assembly Segment.
Same is the situation in villages of Qazigund in Kulgam district where people faced power cuts after every two hours, said Manzoor Ahmed, Naib Sarpanch Chak Badwani Qazigund. He added there is increasing load on transformer in the area and it often gets damaged. The authorities despite the repeated pleas of installing a transformer of higher capacity have not paid any heed to it, he added.
He said in Wanpora and Kewa, transformers have been damaged for days together now and people are suffering on account of this.
“The people in villages of Bidder Hyatpora including Wagay Mohalla, Bidder, Shaksaz Mohala, Bidder and Hangalgund are reeling under power crisis as transformers in these villages have broken down for over a week now,” said Mushtaq Ahmed a local resident. He added that besides the low voltage problem and power cuts, the authorities have failed to install electric poles in some areas of Addigam and Irkumu of Kokernag tehsil and people have taken electric lines after making temporary arrangements by installing the branches cut from willow and Safeda trees.
Same is the condition in the remote villages of Kothar constituency of Anatnag district in South Kashmir where people faced power cuts for over 14 hours.
“In Manloo village of Shopian district, transformer has been installed but the village has not been connected with it due to which the people are in complete darkness,” said Shakoor Ahmed, a social activist from Shopian.
However, when contacted Superintending Engineer M&RE Circle, Ganderbal, Hilal Ahmed Sheikh while admitting that the transformers get damaged due to overloading as load in Valley increases during Winter months, said the delay in restoration of damaged transformers has been to some extent due to the strike of Small Scale Industrial (SSI) Units.
He said 30 to 40 transformers get damaged daily nowadays due to increasing load and the Department managed to restore 20 to 25 on daily basis. However there remained a backlog of 10 to 15 transformers daily and Department is trying its best to repair them, he added.
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