Srinagar, June 20: The people of Tengpora and nearby areas staged a protest on Tuesday at the bypass here against the installation of smart meters and frequent power cuts in the locality.
The protesters, mostly women, resisted the power department’s move of installing smart meters. They chanted slogans against the Power Development Department and demanded an immediate withdrawal of the smart meter installation.
The protest caused significant disruption, with thousands of vehicles on both sides of the highway experiencing inconvenience. Additionally, several Hajj pilgrims who were traveling to the Hajj House in Srinagar found themselves stuck due to the protest.
The protesters said that the majority of the people in the area are daily wagers or working in the private sector to earn a livelihood. The government should take our situation into consideration, they said, adding that smart meters will “adversely affect” their lives.
“On one hand, the government has failed to provide employment opportunities for our educated youth, and on the other side, it is further burdening the poor,” Zarifa Begum, one of the protestors said. She said the majority of the families in the locality they are economically shattered as the power department “recently doubled our tariffs”.
They also said the department is not adhering to the electricity supply schedule, which results in unscheduled power cuts. “This is unbearable in the current hot weather. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that some patients in the area rely on oxygen support, and the power cuts are causing severe hardships for them,” said another woman.
Later, police officials arrived at the spot and pacified the protesters. The traffic also resumed on both sides of the highway after hours of disruption.
