After snow, Kashmir faces power outages

ibune News Service

Srinagar, December 13

After fresh snowfall in the Valley on Friday, which blocked roads and air traffic, the whole region witnessed power cuts more than usual as the wires faced faults at many places due to inclement weather conditions.

In Srinagar, where more than six inches of snow had gathered, most areas were without electricity till late afternoon. In some areas, residents said while the electricity supply was briefly restored, there were frequent cuts.

“The electricity supply was affected briefly and has been restored in most of the places,” an official said.

After the onset of harsh winters, the electricity supply has been impacted in the Valley as there has been an addition to the outages schedule. The residents have been complaining that there are unscheduled power cuts.

“Since morning there has been no electricity and in the cold it is very difficult to manage without power,” said Subaya Shameem, a resident of North Kashmir’s Baramulla.

During the season’s first snowfall in the first week of November, the electricity supply was affected for more than five days and commercial hub Lal Chowk in Srinagar reeled under the darkness for three days. The residents have been expressing their outrage as the demand of electricity increases in the harsh winters.

“The government is not doing anything to provide uninterrupted electricity supply to people like it is being provided in other places. No initiative has been taken and it is making the residents suffer,” said Nazir Ahmad, a resident of Pulwama.

Officials said the areas where there had been faults in the transformers and wires due to snowfall, the supplies would be restored soon.