Power supply to improve within 15 days, says PDD

Srinagar, March 15: To reduce power curtailments in the Valley, the Power Development Department (PDD) is going to revise the whole schedule within the next 15 days.
According to the department claims, the electricity supply will witness betterment by the end of this month and that the department is prioritizing its efforts to ensure end to erratic power supply.
Hashmat Qazi, Superintending Engineer (SE), Power Development Department, said the department will reduce the power curtailments in the Valley.
“The department is going to change the electricity schedule within 15 days. People would not face power curtailments after that. During winters there were additional power curtailments in the valley and now a remarkable change in the power schedule will be seen,” he said.
He said that the department is undergoing some maintenance process which they would complete by March 22.
“There are some maintenance issues which can be solved within stipulated time frame. The issues and the maintenance process will be resolved byMarch 22.”
He said that electricity supply will not be affected due to less snowfall and rains.
“We make proper arrangements for balancing the whole system,” he added.
The Power Development Department (PDD) is under severe criticism for the power curtailments in the Valley.
During winter months, as per the curtailment schedule of Power Development Department, Kashmir witnessed 21-hour power cuts in metered areas in a week and 42-hour curtailment in non-metered areas.
The slash of power supply in both metered and non-metered areas was witnessed soon after the civil secretariat had shifted to Jammu for the six months.
The people believed that the curtailment in metered areas is against the norms where the department is bound to provide round-the-clock power supply.
They also said the department has been violating its own schedule by resorting to unscheduled powers cuts in metered areas.
The centre in December last year announced allocation of additional power of 792 MW to Jammu and Kashmir in view of higher demand in winters in the state.
However, people say that there has been no improvement in power supply in the valley.