Pampore:  Unscheduled power cuts irk residents  Pampore town in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

The residents told Kashmir Reader that they have been protesting for past six months against PDD for resorting unscheduled power cuts.

They said that after the protests, the PDD officials were directed by district administration for providing the town with three hours of uninterrupted power supply followed by three hours curtailment.

“We have no issue with three  hours break but  the department resorts to unscheduled cuts during  when power has to remain on ,which is bothering us,” Mohammad Yusuf Malik,  a member civil society Pampore said.

He added that the PDD resorts to frequent power outages due to which they receive only one and half hour electricity instead of three hours.

“When we ask officials of receiving station they said it was due to overloading and pass on the blame to grid station and we go to grid station the officials there blame overloading in 220 KV line” he said, adding that they want respite from this overloading.

Executive engineer  System and Operation  transmission maintenance line  Nisar Ahmad told Kashmir Reader that  the power supply we receive from less than the availability needed to fulfill demand.

“We have a demand for 130 megawatts against availability of 84 mega watts, unless operational capacity improves this constraint will remain,” he said.

He remained optimistic that with operationalisation of Alistang Grid situation may improve.

He also advised judicious use of electricity for avoiding the cuts.

BILAL HABIB