Keeping the Tradition: Admin blames consumers for its failure to supply power

Srinagar, Oct 31: Failing to improvise the electricity scenario, Chief Engineer Power Development Department (PDD Kashmir has blamed people for abrupt power cuts during winters.
With the onset of winters, the Valley-ites face the frequent curtailment in electricity and blame the authorities for failing them.
However, the PDD refuted the claims and said the unrestricted peak demand is almost double than the peak demand to be actually met.
“The consumers use more electricity than the agreement forcing the department to go for unscheduled power curtailments,” Chief Engineer, Hashmat Qazi, told The Kashmir Monitor.
“The power supply provided is basically 200-300 mega-watts more in winters than in summers. Problem is that demand for electricity is more in winter season. So, the popular belief among the people that we deliberately resort to curtailment is untrue,” he said.
Qazi said, “We have domestic agreements ranging from 800-825 mega-watts and already provided 1370 mega-watts. Demand exceeding 870 megawatts is illegal.”
During winter, the official said that the demand increases manifold in Kashmir
While the main source for generating electricity in the Valley is mostly hydro-generating power stations, the official at the PDD explained, “The water level recedes in winters and like-wise it has a direct effect on the electricity.”
Asked about various measures taken by the Department to address the regular grievance so far, the Chief Engineer replied, “We introduced the voluntary load disclosure schemes in which consumers can come on their own and divulge details about the consumption of electricity.”
Qazi said that the department usually conduct inspections in October and November. “Our enforcement teams are on the job and sometimes we are left with no option but to penalize the consumers or get the agreements revised.”
Meanwhile, the metered as well as non-metered consumers in the valley accuse PDD of subjecting them to long hours of unscheduled power cuts.
The non-metered and metered consumers in the valley have to face Include various areas of Srinagar including Bemina, Habba Kadal, Fateh Kadal, SafaKadal, Khanyar, Batamaloo, Rambagh, Natipora,Sanat Nagar, Humhama and others alleged that PDD has failed to follow the electricity schedule.
The situation is no different in north Kashmir’s Kupwara and Sopore areas, south Kashmir and Central Kashmir, including Bijbehara and Budgam.