What happened to the promises of uninterrupted power supply in the Valley after the installation of smart meters that were set to bring respite from the erratic power supply in Jammu & Kashmir as the reports here have suggested that the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) is still having a shortfall of 600 MWs of electricity as the demand of electricity has increased after the decline in the minimum temperature due to the winter conditions here. It has been years since successive regimes have been promising adequate electricity to the people, but always the people here have been pushed to the wall as the erratic power supply is always pushing the people to reel under darkness. Besides the erratic power supply, the people have been accusing the department of ignoring their plight as the damaged transformers in their areas have not been repaired for the past one week. As per the reports, in Kulgam district, a couple of villages are reeling under darkness as the transformers in three hamlets have got damaged a week ago and have not been repaired yet. To address the grievances of people, there is a need to take measures to address the shortfall of electricity so that the people could heave a sigh of relief. Moreover, the direction issued by the administration to the concerned department about repairing the transformers immediately should be adhered to strictly so that the consumers are not forced to reel under darkness in the chilly weather conditions.
Tackle root causes
The illegal mining of minerals in Kashmir has become a significant issue, with authorities frequently reporting arrests and vehicle seizures....
