SRINAGAR: The Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has once again appealed to its consumers to use electricity judiciously to prevent damage to local Distribution Transformers (DTs) and the resulting power outages.
On November 21 alone, 49 DTs were damaged across the Kashmir valley, reflecting a significant rise in unsanctioned heating load across all divisions.
Expressing concern over the increase in DT damage rates early in winter, a KPDCL spokesperson urged domestic consumers to adhere strictly to their sanctioned load and avoid using crude heaters and boilers, which are banned by the government. “A total of 49 DTs were reported damaged on November 21, 32 on November 20, 37 on November 19, and 40 on November 18,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson clarified that KPDCL’s Central Workshop in Pampore and divisional workshops are working double shifts to replenish the buffer stock by repairing the damaged DTs. “Of the 158 DTs damaged across the Kashmir valley over the last four days, 143 have been repaired and restored during the same period,” he noted.
The rising damage rate and power outages are attributed to the widespread use of crude heaters and boilers, as well as illegal hooking on bare conductors in metered areas. KPDCL has intensified inspection and disconnection drives across all electric divisions in the valley to combat power theft.
“As many as 1,484 inspections were conducted across all 18 electric divisions on November 21, during which 1,396 domestic and 514 commercial installations were disconnected for unauthorised power use,” the spokesperson said. He added that inspection drives would be further intensified daily across all districts in the Kashmir division.
To address the anticipated rise in DT damage during peak winter months, KPDCL has maintained a buffer stock of 1,554 DTs. “We have reserved additional DTs to manage potential damages,” the spokesperson said, noting that last year’s buffer stock stood at 1,412.
Reiterating KPDCL’s commitment to replacing damaged DTs within stipulated timelines, the spokesperson warned that repeat damage caused by excessive unsanctioned load could result in delays due to the limited manpower at the Central Workshop in Pampore and divisional workshops. (GNS)
