Amid the ongoing severe cold wave in the Kashmir Valley, which has disrupted power and water supply, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a high-level meeting to review the power scenario in Kashmir valley.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who has stationed himself in the valley to personally oversee crisis management during this challenging time, emphasized the need for effective measures to address power shortages and ensure adequate essential services for residents.
During the meeting, Chief Minister discussed a comprehensive strategy to manage peak electricity demand and directed officials to maintain efficiency in ensuring a reliable power supply during the harsh winter season.
He instructed the Power Development Department (PDD) to strictly comply with the scheduled curtailment program and ensure proper publicity of planned power outages to keep consumers informed in advance.
The Chief Minister was briefed on the current power situation in the valley, including the Load Curtailment Plan (LCP) and the demand-versus-consumption statistics. It was highlighted that despite a 7-8% increase in electricity supply compared to the previous year, the extreme cold has caused a significant rise in the load profile, exceeding available resources.
This situation is further aggravated by record-low power generation due to minimal water discharge in hydroelectric power plants, the meeting was informed. Officials also apprised the Chief Minister of the department’s interventions to reduce the demand-supply gap.
It was reported that substantial capacity additions have been made since the last winter to meet increased demand. The Chief Minister directed officials to rationalize the load curtailment program based on the loss profile of feeders and explore options to enhance the allocation of power.
He also stressed the importance of equity in providing electricity to all while incentivizing law abiding consumers but ensuring adequate power supply, especially during this period of severe cold, is made available to the general public.
Chief Secretary Atal Duloo attended the meeting virtually, the meeting was also attended by Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary PDD Rajesh H Prasad, Managing Director JKPTCL, Managing Director KPDCL and Chief Engineers of various wings of the Power Development Department.
The Chief Minister emphasized the urgent need for the smart metering of Distribution Transformers (DTs) and feeders to improve the monitoring and efficiency of the power distribution system.
Later, the Chief Minister inspected the Sub Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) at Bemina to review the load monitoring system. He was provided with division- and district-wise details of power load and consumption and he directed officials to allocate electricity with maximum efficiency o minimize disruptions.
Reaffirming his commitment to addressing the hardships caused by the severe winter conditions, the Chief Minister urged PDD authorities to prioritize uninterrupted power supply for essential services and to remain proactive in managing the challenges posed by the ongoing cold wave.