Monitor News Bureau
Srinagar, Apr 1: Though the winter season is over in Kashmir, there is no change in power schedule from the Power department till now.
Residents from most of the city areas complained of frequent, unscheduled power cuts especially in the evenings.
“The Power Development Department (PDD) has failed in timely revision of the curtailment program. Unscheduled and frequent power cuts still persist despite passing of winter months,” many residents complained.
Local residents of MIG, colony Bemina said that their area is supplied with power as per the winter schedule, announced and implemented in November last year.
As of now, there is six-hour power curtailment in metered areas of Srinagar and Budgam districts. The areas were divided into three groups, A1, A2, and A3.
These areas face two-hour power cuts in the morning, then two hours in the afternoon, and another two hours in the evening.
However, the non-metered areas face nine-hour power cuts.
The business activities have also been affected due to these power curtailments.
“The scene in the metered areas, which mostly include the posh civil lines in the city, and towns elsewhere, is equally messy. Basically there’s no power curtailment schedule, as we witness some three to five hours of power cuts a day,” said Ruksan Aziz, a homemaker from Qamarwari here.
The residents called for personal intervention of Governor Satya Pal Malik into the issue.
Interestingly, the power curtailment awaits revision when the demand for power supply has already gone down.
Contacted, Chief Engineer, PDD, said the problem was being looked into. “I have convened a meeting to get feedback from people handling transmission, after which future course of action can be decided.”
The CE said there would be an improvement in the power supply in coming days. “There is already some reduction we have made in the winter schedule and we will further reduce the power cuts,” the CE said.
