Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar Mar 09 (KINS): Power Development Department (PDD) has been framing a power curtailment schedule, which is likely to be implemented from the second week of next month.
Kashmir has been facing power cuts for the last many days due to increase in power demand with the usage of electric gadgets.
An official of the Power Development Department said there would be further reduction in power supply from the second week of next month.
“There will be around 4-hour power curtailment in metered areas and over 6-hours in non-metered areas. But it also depends on the increase in power demand. If people use electricity judiciously then there will be less power cuts. If people don’t cooperate and use electricity beyond their registered load, they have to face the long power cuts,” the official told news agency KINS.
“From December, there will be a new power curtailment schedule as there will be further increase in demand for electricity,” the official said.
As per rules, metered areas are bound to get 24-hour power supply.
The official said there is a need for a power curtailment schedule in view of an increase in power demand.
“We are framing a power curtailment schedule which will be issued within two weeks,” the official said.
Asked whether there will be improvement in power supply than last year, he replied, “It all depends upon people. If they use electricity judiciously, then there will be improvement in power supply. We have to optimize things from the availability of electricity.”
The PDD has 1300 MWs of electricity available. However, during winters, the demand reaches over 2000 MWs.
The Centre has been allotting additional MWs of power to Jammu and Kashmir in view of higher demand in winters. But there has been less improvement in the Union Territory as over the years the PDD has failed to augment the existing infrastructure to receive additional electricity from the central grids.
“Additional allocation of power will end the power crisis only when required infrastructure is in place. How will we handle additional power when there is less infrastructure available?” the official added. (KINS)
