Power out, Admin nowhere

Weeks after a massive snowfall disrupted essential services in Kashmir, electricity outages continue to be major issue in both urban and rural areas in the valley even as the Power Development Department (PDD) is yet to devise any uniform curtailment schedule. The situation continues in contrast to Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam directing the PDD last month to ensure the valley does not face any electricity issues.

Central, South and North Kashmir areas including several localities of the summer capital are reeling under darkness with PDD resorting to unannounced power cuts in both metered and non-metered areas.

.As the people in the valley are facing a crisis of sorts due to lack of electricity, the ‘never-mind’ policy of the administrators is the only answer they get in response. It is nobody’s concern if people reel under darkness and industries suffer losses.

The louder you cry, the quieter you find the administration. The unscheduled load-shedding and prolonged power cuts that started with a recent snowfall have left the entire valley under huge dark cover. The situation is alike in metered and non-metered areas. The worst of it is that there is no proper schedule for power cuts. It is the will of the grid operator that determines the load-shedding schedule. It can be any hour of the day or night, and for any duration. Though it is yearly phenomenon beginning with the movement of civil secretariat from Srinagar to Jammu, it got further deteriorated since the last week’s snowfall. Power Development Department though did a commendable job of restoring and repairing the transmission lines without delay but the restoration of electricity is still wanted.

The situation is worse outside the city. In rural areas the power supply is not just erratic but is not visible even for days. Budgam, Shopian, Kupwara, Pulwama and Kulgam district are worst hit. In upper reach village in these districts electricity eludes for days together.

With the winter casting its shadows ferociously on Kashmir, the darkness in coming days is likely to increase. The government, as usual, is little concerned about the power crisis in the valley. It goes without saying that the people of the valley have been taken for ride by the government and its wings. They care little about the sufferings and problems of the valley people.

The indifference of the government to the problems of common people is in no way in the interest of the state. Just to remind the government that it was the power crisis in 1988 that gave rise to peoples’ anger of late 80s. It is time for the authorities to take note of peoples’ problems and take measures before the situation would take an ugly turn. It would not be going overboard to suggest that the problems in Kashmir owe their existence to the insensitivity and indifference on the matters of immediate concern by the state administration. It is very unfortunate that instead of attending to the problems of the people, the administration has set on a six-moth sojourn to the warm climate of Jammu leaving people of the valley to mend for themselves.