JAMMU, June 21: As the heatwave across Jammu region continues unabated, frequent power cuts have added to people’s woes with no signs of respite.
The Power Development Department’stall claims of a power-cut-free summer in metered areas prove hoax, as Jammuitesstruggle with long power outages.
The agonising situation in Jammu exposed the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department’s (JKPDD) inadequate contingency plans and readiness to meet peak summer power supply demand.
The areas which are facing intermittent power curtailment includes Lower Thathar, Bantalab,
and its adjoining areas, Muthi areas, Krishna Nagar, Bakshi Nagar and Gurha, Shakti Nagar, Satwari, Gandhi Nagar, Sainik Colony and Chhatha and its adjoining areas and many other areas of Jammu (all metered) .
The irony of the situation, which the concerned department is least concerned about, is that in many areas, power feeders for metered and non-metered (i.e. rural areas) are the same.
“When you have a common feeder for both metered and rural areas, the power curtailment in the metered areas will be the same as in the rural areas, i.e. non-metered areas,” HS Puri, AEE, PDD, told Rising Kashmir about the power crisis in metered areas.
Most of the residents complain that despite the assurance by the Power Development Department that metered areas will get regular power, they still had to face frequent power cuts.
The power crisis has deepened in Jammu which has angered the people following 8 to 10 hours long unscheduled curtailments amid the soaring heatin these summers.
With authorities unable to find a tangible solution to the current electricity crisis, unrelenting power outages and frequent tripping of transmission lines have thrown normal life out of gear in this scorching heat.
Several areas of Jammu region are still reeling from a severe power crisis at a time when the summer season is at its peak, as both metered and non-metered areas have been facing power curtailments despite the government’s assurance that there will be no power cuts in metered areas, and curtailments in non-metered areas will not exceed six hours.
The government, in an official communiqueon Tuesday, had assured that there will be no power curtailment in Jammu City i.e metered areas from June 20 onwards.
Whatever the reasons, the irony remains that metered areas that, according to the PDD’s assurance, would no longer be subjected to power outages are being forced to endure power outages of at least six hours.
It is only because of common feeders that metered areas have to bear the brunt in peak summer season, though no fault of theirs.
“The department is only making claims in the name of streamlining the system and scenario is completely different on the ground”, said Mohan Lal, a resident of Lower Thathar, Bantalab.
