Jammu and Kashmir , due to its location in the Himalayan region, though having vast potential for generating power not only for its ever increasing domestic demand but even exporting it to other States and making its generation as one of the biggest revenue earners is well known. There were claims too made in the past that (the then State of ) Jammu and Kashmir would be self sufficient in power generation by 2012 and even earlier but that could not become a reality due to host of reasons . No doubt, enough is being done especially by the Central Government in this respect which envisions to harness over 9000 MW of the electricity during 13th five year plan or during the period 2017-22, which needs to be made a reality by concerted efforts at all levels .
No doubt , a lot of improvement in its supply and maintaining a quality input domestic supply in terms of voltage parameters and almost uninterrupted supply with certain exceptions has been experienced for the last two years in the UT. However, recently in a review meeting on the status of power supply, Renewable Energy and associated issues in respect of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, it was disclosed that as per the mission of the Central Government, 24×7 uninterrupted power to all districts would be ensured within the next two years. It is a vital development in such an issue which has been virtually plaguing this part of the country especially during peak summers in Jammu division and in harsh winters in Kashmir division.
The fact of the matter, however, is that power supply to the rural areas had always been slightly better as compared to other States as the figures suggest . Village electrification programme has been pursued diligently as by the end of 2017, as much as 98 percent of villages in J&K had been electrified but still far flung areas especially hilly ones, much needed to be done and expectedly before the end of 2022 , scenario of 24×7 supply is increasingly becoming a possibility. Union Minister of State for Power and Renewable Energy attending the high level meeting recently at Jammu in this context lent a peculiar credibility to such proposal fructifying into a reality. However, much more could be achieved in this sector if sensitive areas of generation , distribution, revenue and distribution leakages, professionalism and adopting pure marketing strategy , containing malpractices and corruption wherever and how- much- so -ever , if any, were adequately addressed.
Better transmission and distribution system is all needed to achieve the cherished target even before the year 2022. Always feeling the need for capacity addition , this UT needs not only additional plants to generate power but running the ones in operation to their fuller installed capacity . In this regard, the concerned officers are rightly directed to explore such ways and arrange preparation of project for capacity addition which could make it possible to keep power supply uninterruptedly round the clock reaching the consumers across the UT , a long cherished dream of the people to come true thus. Such a project , if prepared at the earliest and sent to the Central Government followed by proper follow up till its approval and making of it, would speed up the realisation of the proposal. What was needed further in this area was preventing wastages and less transmission also because of obsolete or worn out machinery and infrastructure which needed to be updated and necessary changes made. Wastages by way of misuse and losses caused to the system due to theft and much delayed , even non payment of electric tariff by “big ones” running in arrears even in hundreds of thousands of Rupees on individual basis needed to be looked into and addressed effectively.
Innovative methods like turning agricultural pump sets for agriculturalists into solar driven system would result in easing demand on the already struggling power supply position besides saving money for the farmers and others on conventional power bills. It would help in keeping the environment too clean and pollution free. Latest technologies, dedicated relook , review and follow up coupled with structural changes in the system, wherever most needed, too should form the other prerequisites of ensuring desired improvement and growth in the power sector.
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