Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir is heading towards severe power crisis as the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) is mulling additional power cuts due to persistently inadequate power allocation to it.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the current power allocation of 1300 MW is a substantial decrease from the 1700 MW received during the same period last year, indicating a severe shortage that threatens to deepen Kashmir’s electricity woes.
A senior official from KPDCL has raised a red flag over dwindling power allocation, saying, “We are contemplating further extending power cuts as the current allocation is insufficient, especially considering that peak demand during winter can exceed 2000 MW.”
The senior official said that in absence of sufficient power allocation, KPDCL might have no choice but to revise the existing curtailment schedule and implement a new one with even fewer hours of power supply.
The gravity of the situation is underscored by the fact that power cuts have become so severe that monthly power consumption in Kashmir has plummeted by 30 to 40 million units compared to last year.
“The unscheduled and frequent distress cuts, resulting from a reduction in allocation, have wreaked havoc at the grid level. This has led to an unstable load curve, causing a cascading effect of higher peak loads and stress on power infrastructure, aggravating the power scenario and escalating curtailments,” a KPDCL official said.
As the power crisis continues to tighten its grip across north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the consequences are nowhere more palpable than in the vital health institutions scattered across the district.
The worst affected health institutions are the sub district hospitals and scores of other institutions, especially the Primary Health Centres in the district.—KMS
