Srinagar, Dec 23: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called upon officials to implement effective measures to tackle power shortages and ensure essential services for the community.
Abdullah canceled all his engagements in Jammu to personally oversee the operations of the power department in the valley, which is currently facing severe cold wave conditions.
He convened a high-level meeting to evaluate the power supply situation in Kashmir.
The chief minister discussed a detailed plan to manage peak electricity demand and instructed officials to ensure reliability in power supply amid the harsh winter.
He directed the power development department to adhere to the scheduled curtailment program and to effectively communicate planned outages to keep consumers informed in advance.
Abdullah received updates on the valley’s power situation, including load curtailment strategies and demand versus consumption statistics.
It was noted that, despite a 7-8 percent increase in electricity supply compared to the previous year, extreme cold has led to a substantial rise in demand, surpassing available resources.
The situation has been exacerbated by record-low power generation due to minimal water release in hydroelectric plants, officials reported.
The chief minister was informed about measures being taken to bridge the demand-supply gap.
Substantial capacity additions have been made since last winter to accommodate growing demand.
Abdullah instructed officials to prioritize the load curtailment plan based on feeder loss profiles and to explore options to increase power allocation.
He emphasized the need for fair distribution of electricity to all while rewarding compliant consumers, ensuring adequate power supply, particularly during this severe cold wave.
