Srinagar, Oct 20: The Principal Secretary of the Power Development Department (PDD), H Rajesh Prasad, revealed on Friday that the region is grappling with a severe water shortage in its rivers and streams this year, resulting in a significant power deficit.
“Despite these challenges, the administration has managed to provide 2200 MWs of power, surpassing the available 1400 MWs. An additional 700 MWs have been secured through power exchange,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Raj Bhavan, Prasad emphasized the PDD’s commitment to ensuring a stable power supply. The department has continued to supply 1200 MWs of power to the Kashmir division and 1000 MWs to the Jammu region.
This year, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed an unprecedented decline in the water levels of its rivers and streams, impacting local power generation. During the summer months of June and July, power generation typically ranged from 1000 MWs to 1050 MWs. However, in September, this figure dropped to 750 MWs, and by October, it dwindled further to a mere 250 MWs.
Despite these formidable challenges, Prasad assured that the Power Department remains committed to providing power at a subsidized rate per unit to consumers, ensuring continued access to electricity.
Addressing concerns about power curtailment in both metered and non-metered areas, Secretary PDD Prasad highlighted the activation of an additional power quota for peak winter demand. “This supplementary power allocation will be put to use during the winter months when the demand surges,” he affirmed. Prasad also outlined ambitious plans to reduce Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses to 20 per cent within the next three to five years. This transformation is being driven by ongoing efforts to enhance the power distribution system.
