Gurez to receive regular power supply as govt gives nod to 2.5 MW project

Bandipora, September 21: Gurez valley in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district to get uninterrupted electricity for first time as the government has given nod to build 2.5 Megawatt power project to end power woes.
An official told Rising Kashmir that the project is being constructed in Khandiyal village of Gurez and the pace has been expedited for early completion and is expected to electrify the valley from next year.
Gurez is presently getting electricity through high capacity diesel generators placed in each locality in villages of Gurez valley to supply timed and restricted power supply to each household at subsidized rates however, the fuel storage, management and maintenance of generators in winters remain an issue.
A delegation of a locals told Rising Kashmir that the project was long pending demand of people and much needed for the valley as limited electricity was not enough for them to meet the needs.
A local social activist Arshid Lone told Rising Kashmir that since the past several decades, they have been trying to reach out to public representatives and local authorities. Years passed and governments changed, but they remained in darkness.
“Some days ago on culmination of gurez festival, Deputy commissioner Bandipora Dr Owais Ahmad came here and assured us that Gurez will be fully electrified. We have no words to express our happiness”, he added.
Earlier in 2020, to end Power woes in gurez, Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited started a project to bring electricity through 33kV Line from Bandipora to Gurez but the KPDCL failed to construct the proposed line due to the tough topography of Razdan top where the line had to pass through and the scheme was shortly closed.