Srinagar: Amid the on-going severe coldwave in the Kashmir Valley, which has disrupted power and water supply, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a high-level meeting to review the situation on Monday.
The Chief Minister, who has stationed himself in the valley to personally oversee crisis management during this challenging time, emphasized the need for effective measures to address power shortages and ensure adequate essential services for residents.
Kashmir valley is facing power outage and water scarcity, amid bon chilling cold wave and dry weather prevailing in the valley for a long time making the life miserable for the people.
During the meeting, Chief Minister discussed a comprehensive strategy to manage peak electricity demand and directed officials to maintain efficiency in ensuring a reliable power supply during the harsh winter season.
He instructed the Power Development Department (PDD) to strictly comply with the scheduled curtailment program and ensure proper publicity of planned power outages to keep consumers informed in advance.
Omar was briefed on the current power situation in the valley, including the Load Curtailment Plan (LCP) and the demand-versus-consumption statistics.
It was highlighted that despite a 7-8% increase in electricity supply compared to the previous year, the extreme cold has caused a significant rise in the load profile, exceeding available resources.
This situation is further aggravated by record-low power generation due to minimal water discharge in hydroelectric power plants, the meeting was informed.
Officials also apprised the Chief Minister of the department’s interventions to reduce the demand-supply gap.
It was reported that substantial capacity additions have been made since the last winter to meet increased demand.
He directed officials to rationalize the load curtailment program based on the loss profile of feeders and explore options to enhance the allocation of power.
Omar also stressed the importance of equity in providing electricity to all while incentivizing law abiding consumers but ensuring adequate power supply, especially during this period of severe cold, is made available to the general public.
UNI
