Winter blues: PDD set to launch crackdown against power thieves in Kashmir

Srinagar:  Power Development Department (PDD) is set to launch a major crackdown against power thieves in order to ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply in the winter.

The decision to crack whip comes at a time when the demand for electricity has increased by 150 Megawatts.

Chief Engineer PDD Aijaz Ahmad Dar told The Kashmir Monitor that inspection squads have been activated to check the electricity theft across the valley.

“Our squads will be conducting regular inspections to check power thefts. Our teams will check the individual load and book the violators accordingly,” he said.

Dar said feeders trip due to the heavy load in non- metered areas,  which lead to unscheduled cuts.

“We don’t have a mechanism in place that could detect individual load. We can actually monitor a whole feeder. If a load of particular feeder exceeds,  our teams will go and inspect the households,” he said.

A source said the police department too will provide assistance to the PDD in executing laws to prevent power thefts.

“Police personnel will also accompany the squads during the inspection. We have laws in place and strict action will be taken against violators,” he said.

The chief engineer said that if people use electricity judiciously and pay as per the consumption then there won’t be power cuts.

“In the north and south Kashmir, the curtailment schedule has already begun. Alasteng gird can handle 150 MW of power.  Plus we have an entitlement of 100 MW of additional power. If the demand exceeds, then we will have to implement a curtailment schedule for Srinagar as well,” he said.

Dar said the electricity demand has increased to 1350 Megawatts during peak hours comparing to 1200 Megawatts last month.

Unscheduled power cuts have started bothering people from north to south Kashmir. Students and the business community are facing immense problems due to the unavailability of electricity.