Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 26: Various social and political organisations have taken Government to task for increasing power cuts in Jammu and Kashmir and demanded immediate steps be taken to improve the power situation failing which the people will come to streets in protest.
JKPCC Working president, Raman Bhalla appealed LG Manoj Sinha to address power crisis in Jammu region as the grid stations are not in a position to supply power as per the increased demand and the infrastructure is unable to sustain the increased load due to rising temperature. Former Minister visited several areas of Gandhi Nagar constituency including Nai Basti, Bhour Camp,Gadigarh, Rohimorh after receiving distress calls from these areas regarding worst ever power crisis. Contrary to the claims of Government that regular power will be supplied, the Power Development Department (PDD) is resorting to one hour power cut every two hours.
“The power demand in the coming days is likely to go up in Jammu region and due to less capacity of the grid stations, the crisis will only deepen,” Bhalla said. He said that the infrastructure available with the PDD at present is not well equipped to “sustain the load in peak Summer season”. He said that the power demand has increased manifold and the system is not in a position to sustain the load due to soaring temperature. “Apart from this, there are grid constraints due to which the power crisis has worsened,” said Bhalla.
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) provincial president , Rattan Lal Gupta said that the prolonged power outages have crippled normal life as severe power crisis has gripped the Jammu region.
Expressing concern over the worst Summer power crises in Jammu, Gupta said , ”Over the past fortnight , most parts of the Jammu division have received electricity supply only for about four hours daily that too in intervals ranging between 15 minutes and half an hour. The rising mercury, heat wave and unscheduled power cuts in several parts of province have started affecting residents badly, he added.
Yudhvir Sethi, J&KBJP vice president expressed serious concern over the problems being faced by people of Jammu city in general and East constituency in particular due to severe water and power crisis during these hot Summer days.
In this regard, a delegation of residents of Jammu East constituency met Yudhvir Sethi and apprised him about unscheduled power cuts and irregular supply of drinking water in their respective area.
Taking serious cognizance of unscheduled power cuts across the Jammu city, Sethi asked the JKPDCL authorities to take serious note of people crisis. He said that the power failure has also badly affected water supply.
Sethi urged the Government authorities to settle this problem as top priority and address it at the earliest. He asked the concerned engineering wing to immediately get the old and worn out pipes in the supply line replaced by the new ones besides fixing the leakages in the rest of the pipes.
Agitated over power and water crisis faced by Jammu region, the workers of Dogra Front and Shiv Sena under the leadership of its president, Ashok Gupta took out a protest rally today. The agitated party workers raised slogans “Bijli duo Panni duo”. The party workers carrying empty buckets , hand fans and water pots to signify their plea as surviving in this harsh weather without the basic amenities. Ashok Gupta in his address took Government to task saying the worst ever power crisis in Jammu has also led to water scarcity. He said that LG should take cognisance of the matter and issue necessary instructions to the PDD authorities for immediate action to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the people.
The Apni Party leaders and workers staged a massive protest demonstration outside the PDD Chief Engineer’s Office here against the unscheduled curtailment of the electricity.
Led by the provincial president of the party, Manjit Singh hundreds of leaders and workers assembled here and staged a dharna against the PDD ‘s failure to supply round the clock electricity.
In his address Manjit Singh blamed PDD for forcing the people of Jammu plains to suffer during the Summers as the season has just begun.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Sandeep Singh Chib expressed serious concern over worst ever power crisis in J&K with LG administration totally sleeping over the issue. In a statement issued here, today he said power crisis have deepened to an unbearable extent, PDD has failed to look into the main problem which mostly surfaces during Summer in Jammu region and during Winter in Kashmir Valley.
The administration seems to be in no mood to address the pervasive power crisis in Jammu with demand touching new heights amid the Government’s inaction and failure on the ground.
Border Kissan Union, Ramgarh, Samba has submitted a memorandum to Governor through tehsildar Ramgarh and district administration Samba regarding unscheduled power cuts in the area. The participants protested against the Government especially the Power Development Department (PDD) which have failed in smooth power supply to the area.
The protestors said present curtailment has created mess in the normal life. The farmers are also facing utter difficulties as they don’t get the power supply for pump sets despite they are paying hefty power bills.
Durga Nagar Welfare Committee in its meeting held under the chairmanship of Roshan Lal Raina in which residents of surrounding areas also took part and expressed their anger over increasing power cuts. They said entire Durga Nagar, Dogra Nagar , Bantalab, Chinore, Swaran Vihar and Rajinder Nagar, Muthi and Barnai areas are reeling under severe power crisis. Despite the installation of meters the Government failed to fulfill its commitment in providing round the clock power supply in these areas, they added.
Expressing serious concern over power crisis in Jammu and Kashmir , Kissan Tehreek held protest demonstration in many parts of the Valley including Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Ganderbal etc.
While addressing the protesters at Anantnag general secretary, Kissan Tehreek, Ghulam Nabi Malik said the unannounced power outages are causing immense hardships to the people of the region. While urban areas are witnessing power cuts upto nine hours, many villages have been reeling under almost sheer darkness for several months. The precarious power situation is in marked contrast to the LG’s recent announcement that the metered areas would receive seamless electricity round the clock, he added.
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