Srinagar, Nov 25: Anger is brewing against Power Development Department (PDD) for resorting to unscheduled power cuts despite announcing massive load shedding schedule in both metered and non-metered areas of Srinagar.

Kashmir has been facing massive unscheduled power cuts since November 7, when it received season’s first snowfall.

Under fire, PDD issued power curtailment schedule for metered and non-metered areas of Srinagar, which was implemented from November 23.

As per the schedule, there will be daily four and half hours power curtailment in metered areas of Srinagar. For non-metered areas, problems abound as there will be eight-and-half hours power cuts daily.

The metered areas have been divided into three groups. Each group will face one hour 30 minute power curtailment at different intervals thrice a day. 

Non-metered areas have been divided into two groups. They have to bear eight and half hours power curtailment, four times a day.

Non-metered area will face power curtailment of two hour 30 minutes each between 6.30 am-11.30 am, 11.30 am-4.30 pm and 4.30 pm-9.30 pm. Besides there will be one hour night curtailment between 9.30-11:30 pm.

Despite curtailment, PDD has been resorting to unscheduled power cuts sparking anger among the people.

 “Ours is a metered area but we face abrupt power cuts at least 10 times in a day. We don’t know when power supply will be switched off. The problem has aggravated in the last few days,” said Mohammad Ayoub Bhat, a resident of Zakoora.

Problem is particularly grave in the non-metered areas. “The power curtailment schedule has been confined to papers only. We face abrupt power cuts over 20 times in a day. We receive less than 10 hour electricity in a day,” said Bashir Ahmad Wani, a resident of Khanyar.

Chief Engineer, Power Development Department, Kashmir, Hashmat Qazi said there was a need for power curtailment schedule in view of the increase in power demand.

“We are trying to adhere to power curtailment schedule. Abrupt power cuts happen in some areas because of overload. If people use electricity judiciously then there will be less power cuts,” Qazi said.

Meanwhile, PDD has proposed five hours power cut in metered areas and 10 hour load shedding in non-metered areas in other districts of the valley.

“There will be power curtailment of over five hours in metered and 10 hour electricity curtailment in non-metered areas in other districts,” an official of PDD said.