Owais Gul
Srinagar, Apr 21 : The government on Thursday said that it can’t afford to procure electricity from outside Jammu and Kashmir due to the exorbitant rates and that the long power cuts will continue for some more time.
It said that the shortage of coal in Delhi grid has added to the existing problem while less rainfall in the month of March too has resulted in the less availability of electricity in Kashmir.
Talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Chief Engineer, Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Javid Yousuf Dar said that the present scenario would continue for some time.
He said that the demand has increased due to the rise in temperature and the generation at the same is less due to the deficient rainfall.
Dar added that the rainfall from the last two days would not bring any respite from the present power scenario, saying that there is already a huge deficient rainfall and just two days of rains can’t change the situation.
The Chief Engineer said that there is no option other than going ahead with the power cuts due to the decline in power generation.
He said that the KPDCL at this juncture can’t procure electricity from outside Jammu and Kashmir as the rates for per unit have increased due to the absence of coal.
“We were ready to procure electricity at the rate of Rs 8, but the rates at present are unaffordable. Nobody can procure the electricity at present,” Chief Engineer said, adding that the electricity has not been procured and thus simultaneously the non-availability of electricity would lead to the power cuts.
Pertinently, the people across the Valley here are complaining of erratic power supply especially during the peak hours of Sehri and Iftaari.
The government had promised adequate electricity to the consumers during the holy month of Ramadan. However, the power scenario worsened on the ground as pesky power cuts have led to the sufferings of people in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley.
The local consumers said that it is for the first time that the people here are being pushed to the wall in the holy month of Ramadan as such a power scenario has never been witnessed in the past—(KNO)
