In both summer as well as winter months, especially during peak period, supplying power to consumers has been a problem in Jammu and Kashmir. If not as a mere rhetoric but a fact of the matter about it can be seen in it being a ”traditional” problem while we have been hearing claims from successive Governments for decades that Jammu and Kashmir was just on the threshold of becoming fully self sufficient in power, even having it spare enough to export. Just at the start of even the second fortnight of March this year , the record of decades of day temperature has been broken being the highest and in the approaching days of April, May and June, it can well be envisaged, going by the present trend of rising temperature, as to what a scenario shall there be in respect of supply of power in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in Jammu division which is a dry and extremely hot region or having a humid subtropical climate. The mismatch between demand for and supply of power has reached an alarming shortage of 200 MW even as of now due to the twin reasons of abrupt rise in temperature and non -availability of sufficient electricity from the Northern Grid.
The problem about generation of power and distribution thereof is also ”peculiar” about the UT in that during summers, there is less discharge of water available for the operative hydro electric projects to generate electricity while again in winters, it is more less due to very low levels of water flow since in upper reaches and mountainous areas, snow freezes leaving rivers etc parching for water. While concern should be had, among other sectors of the economy, for industries especially small and medium, who deserve to be freed from the impending power cuts or curtailment in order that their levels of output and production do not suffer for which industrialists have already voiced their apprehensions, should, therefore, the ”axe” of power cuts and load shedding ultimately fall on the common consumers , especially those who sincerely pay their bills regularly? While on the one hand, we encourage and motivate investors to invest in the Industrial Sector of the UT, how can the power cuts be explained as that discourages investors since it runs counter to the hopes of better returns on the investments by the prospective investors. Therefore, any power cuts announced for Industrial Estates in Jammu division should be reviewed, at least, must be kept to the barest possible minimum as the industry has otherwise suffered immensely on account of three waves of COVID pandemic and has now started picking up slowly .
Undoubtedly, much is being done on the power front though in its ordinary normal way to have improvement of supply of power actually felt on the ground but there are numerous reasons due to which despite more and more projects, small, medium and large, being raised to generate power, some measure of the requisite infrastructure also improved or enhanced, still power problem persists and turns at times into a crisis. There is unprecedented surge in demand on year to year basis, chiefly on account of using of air conditioners (ACs) in summers and heaters / blowers in winters. A simple case study over just last ten years would reveal persistent increase in using ACs which increases the load on supply mechanism, at times, even transformers unable to bear the load in residential colonies get damaged disrupting power for longer hours even for two to three days. It is not that people are doing something unusual in using ACs and the blame should be apportioned on the consumers / offices/ institutions/ shops and malls etc but the PDD very often projects it as the main cause as if using ACs should be avoided. The principle of ”use and pay” being applicable here in absolute commercial parlance, however, enjoins upon the users, therefore, to pay in time the cost of power consumed and equally binds the PDD to receive and recover the same from the consumers.
What, however, is the actual position in this respect in terms of at least receiving by the PDD the cost of power used by the consumers especially the Government offices and institutions, PSUs, business houses, commercial undertakings, political leaders, offices of political parties so on and so forth. Data in respect of late last year reveals a piquant position in that the UT Government of Jammu and Kashmir spends Rs.6200 crore annually on purchase of power while in the shape of revenue there-from, it realises only Rs.2600 crore from the consumers. What, therefore, at the moment is required to be done is the same old alternative – to import or to buy from outside. Does the Government, PDD or the agency concerned, have the money to purchase power that also at cost higher than realised, is the moot question. A better and a viable alternative must be found out so that minimum suffering is caused to people on account of imminent power cuts during the scorching hot months at hand.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel