Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Nov 27: Adding further woes to people, Power Development Department is not even adhering its own power curtailment schedule, ranging from 4:30 hour and 8:30 hour electricity cuts in metered and unmetered areas, respectively.
Kashmir has been facing abrupt power cuts since November 7, when valley received season's first snowfall.
PDD has issued power curtailment schedule for metered and non-metered areas of Srinagar.
As per the PDD curtailment schedule, there will be 4:30 hour power curtailment in metered areas of Srinagar in a day.
These areas have been divided into three groups. They will face one hour 30 minute power curtailment three times in a day each between 8 am-12:30 pm, 12:30pm-5pm and 5pm-9:30 pm.
As per rules, metered areas are bound to get round the clock electricity.
While non-metered areas have been divided into two groups. They have to bear eight-hour 30 minutes power curtailment, four times in a day.
Non-metered area will face power curtailment of 2 hour 30 minutes each between 6:30 am-11:30am, 11:30am-4:30 pm, 4:30pm-9-30pm, and one hour night curtailment between 9:30-11:30.
PDD has been framing power curtailment schedule in other districts. "There will be power curtailment of over 5-hours in metered and 10 hour electricity curtailment in non-metered areas in other districts," an official of PDD said.
PDD has also come under severe criticism for resorting to unscheduled power cuts and not even adhering own power curtailment schedule.
"Ours is a metered area but we face abrupt power cuts at least 10 times in a day. We don't know when the power supply will go off. The problem has further aggravated for last few days," said Mohammad Ayoub Bhat, a resident of Zakoora.
The problem in grave in non-metered areas.
"The power curtailment schedule has been confined to papers only. We face abrupt power cuts over 20 times in a day. We receive less than 10-hour electricity in a day. Icy cold water makes it difficult for us to wash our hands and face," said Bashir Ahmad Wani, a resident of Khanyar.
Chief Engineer, Power Development Department, Kashmir, Hashmat Qazi said there was a need for power curtailment schedule in view of increase in power demand. |
