Kashmir is dealing with its worst electricity crisis with power generation hitting a record low of 50-100 MegaWatts (MWs) against the demand of 1800 MWs, badly impacting the life of over 70 lakh people.
The Valley is in the middle of the longest power cuts in two decades, with 12 to 16 hours of cuts per day, according to locals. The prolonged cuts come at a time when the night temperatures are already sub-zero in the Valley. Badly affected are the elderly, especially chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, whose numbers go up during the winters.
“My father, who is in his 70s, is a COPD patient. We had to buy a generator so that his oxygen concentrator machine runs without disruptions. I don’t think all families can afford generators. Prolonged power cuts are a death knell for such patients,” Imtiyaz Khan, a showroom owner from Srinagar’s Lal Bazaar, said. Students appearing for their year-end examinations are also facing great difficulty.
Poor governance
Power cuts, were reduced to six to four hours by previous regimes. This was done by timely purchase of power from the Northern Grid.
Kashmir requires 1800 MW of power to maintain electricity supply for 16 hours a day. For round-the-clock supply, 2200 to 2300 MWs is required. According to the Power Development Department (PDD) it generates between 50-100 MWs a day. Earlier 200-250 MWs were generated during the winters too.
This story was originally published in thehindu.com. Read the full story here .
