At a time when the consumers were expecting 24×7 power supply availability, the power scenario started getting affected for one or the other reason this year.
This led to Power Development Department (PDD) going for load shedding even during the summer months, when the supply used to be comparatively better in the past.
Now there is a shortage of 1300 MW in Jammu and Kashmir because of shutting down of many power plants due to rise in water level in Chenab river after the recent incessant rainfall.
According to an official press release the water level in the river has risen above the reservoir level causing heavy silt deposition in Hydro Power Plants both under state and central sectors.
To prevent damage to machines, mega hydro projects like BHEP-I & II, Salal and Dulhasti have been forced to shut down. Such a situation has emerged due to weather conditions and is expected to get resolved soon. Earlier, the PDD also resorted load-shedding.
According to reports J&K was not purchasing power from outside as per the requirements. Officials said that J&K has to buy power from outside at an average of Rs 7500 crore per year and the government receives Rs 3200 crore annually as power tariff payments from consumers.
The authorities have already installed thousands of smart meters, installing more meters, and are in the process of completing the exercise at the earliest.
The process of converting the post-paid smart meters to pre- paid smart meters has also begun and hundreds of consumers have already switched over, while others are also doing so.
A consumer following every direction has also a right to get better power supply and there should not be any deterioration in power scenario. Experts say there should not have been any power crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, which has enormous potential for hydro-power generation.
J&K has the capacity not only to become self reliant in power generation but also to sell the power to outside states and generate money. But the problem is that it is yet to get self sufficient and selling the power to others is nowhere in sight.
The present crisis is also because of the wrong policies. No serious attention was paid towards establishing adequate number of power plants in state sector.
The poor planning and lack of interest in making J&K self sufficient in power is badly affecting the power scenario right now. It is not yet known that how long the crisis will continue.
What has been done in past cannot be undone now. But from now onwards the focus should be setting up more power plants and speedily completing the ongoing projects.