Power-less winters have become production nightmare for industries

Srinagar, Nov 17: The ritual power shortage in Kashmir during winters leaves the industry and overall business sector in distress, with their production reducing to half during the cold season.

With the onset of winter, the electric situation in Kashmir worsens, forcing many a people to protest against the government.

Industrial sector becomes the first causality of this situation, as most units are driven by electricity, particularly the plastic and oxygen generating firms.

President Federation Chamber of Industries of Kashmir (FCIK), Mukhtar Yusuf, said their losses often multiply during winters.

“Our production has directly gone down by nearly 50 per cent in the last two months. Goods and Service Tax and demonetisation already broke backbone of the industrial sector, now the constant power outage is further denting the sector,” he said.

Yusuf said the industries like plastic and medical oxygen generating units remain closed for the most part of the day.

“The schedule shall be like two hour power cut in morning and two in the evening. We desperately need smooth electricity during the day to meet the demand,” he added.

Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries President, Sheikh Ashiq, said the output of the industries, particularly in rural areas, have fallen immensely due to no power supply.

He said some of the economy-generating industries of the state remain almost defunct during the winters.

“Tourism industry equally faces the problems due to the lack of electricity. Nobody will love to visits a place which is plunged into darkness after dawn,” he said.

Ashiq said the traders have repeatedly sought the solution to frequent power outages.

“It has now become a norm. The winter actually means no power for the people of the valley,” he said.

The frequent power cuts are equally hitting the indigenous industries of Kashmir.

“We have a major chunk of artisans in downtown and rural areas, which currently face massive power cuts and curtailments. These artisans are not able work at home in the absence of electricity during evening hours,” Muhammad Sultan, an artisan from Khanyar, said.