Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 11: With few inches of snow and incessant rains lashing Kashmir for nearly 24 hours, the power scenario across the Valley including in summer capital Srinagar has worsened.
Soon after heavy rains and snowfall started in Valley plains since yesterday, the electricity is playing hide and seek in most parts of the Valley. Even as there was no snowfall in Srinagar city but most of the areas were without power since yesterday late evening till Friday afternoon.
The residents of Dalgate, Chanapora, Balgarden, Eidgah, Mehjoor Nagar, Kursu Padshahi Bagh, Mominabad, Magarmal Bagh and several other neighbourhoods told Excelsior that they were without power since last evening till today afternoon. The markets of commercial hub Lal Chowk, which include Poloview and Residency Road, were also without electricity. Besides complete snap down, the other areas of city which include Samandar Bagh, Exchange Road and Rawalpora witnessed unscheduled power cuts.
Already grappling with massive curtailment and unscheduled power cuts since October, the fresh clampdown has created more problems for the Valley residents who are battling bone chilling winter.
The situation in South Kashmir districts, which recorded snowfall ranging from several inches to one foot, is no different. The residents of dozens of villages of Pulwama, Anantnag and Shopian are without electricity since Thursday.
The locals of Nowgam, Dooru, Verinag and Qazigund areas of Anantnag district told Excelsior over phone that soon after snow began to fall the electricity was snapped in their areas and till this evening it was not restored. They further said that several electric wires and poles have been damaged due to snowfall.
Majority of the Shopian villages are also without electricity as the district witnessed moderate snowfall. Reports said the villages along Mughal Road including Heerpora are also without electricity. However, the power was restored in Anantnag Town and other district townships including Bijbehara this morning. But residents alleged the pesky power cuts.
The frontier district Kupwara plains, which also witnessed season’s first snowfall, are without electricity since yesterday. A resident of Muqam-e-Shah Wali hamlet of the district told Excelsior over phone that they are without electricity since Thursday afternoon.
The locals of Saloora, Dudherhama, Wanipora, Wahidpora and Bamlora in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district said in last 24 hours the power was restored only for 30 minutes. Elsewhere in Budgam, Bandipora and Baramulla districts the residents said that they were without power since last night till Friday noon. The remote villages of Bandipora however are without power supply since yesterday.
When contacted, the Chief Engineer PDD, Bashir Ahmad Khan claimed that they have restored electricity in Valley to 90 per cent areas while the remaining would be restored by tomorrow afternoon. “There was fault in electric wires while at some places the trees were uprooted due to snowfall,” he told Excelsior when asked why power supply was affected across Valley since last evening. The Chief Engineer said by tomorrow 2 PM, the electricity in remote villages would be restored.
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