SRINAGAR: Power supply across the Kashmir Valley was severely disrupted on Friday after active load dropped to below 100 megawatts against the usual demand of around 1,700 megawatts, following widespread damage to the electricity network caused by extreme weather conditions.
According to the Office of the Chief Minister, Jammu and Kashmir, the sharp decline in power load was primarily due to the outage of almost all 33 kV feeders, including those supplying emergency services. The disruption followed strong winds and extensive tree fall since Thursday evening, which damaged power lines across the Valley.
As per KPDCL, the active power load in the valley is less than 100 MW as against the usual 1700 MW, essentially due to outage of almost all 33KV feeders including those feeding emergency services. Teams are on job for rectification but extensive tree fall on the lines and the…
— Office of Chief Minister, J&K (@CM_JnK) January 23, 2026
The Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited said restoration teams were on the ground and working to rectify faults, but ongoing windy conditions and large-scale tree falls on transmission lines were posing major challenges. Officials said a detailed damage assessment was underway, though it would take time due to prevailing weather conditions.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister is scheduled to hold consultations on the Budget 2026–27 with various stakeholders later in the day at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar. The Chief Minister will also interact with senior officers to review the situation arising from the extreme weather and assess the impact on essential services.
Chief Minister will hold consultations on Budget 2026-27 with various stakeholders today at Civil Secretariat, Srinagar.
Later, he will also interact with officers to assess the situation caused due to extreme weather conditions since yesterday evening.
— Office of Chief Minister, J&K (@CM_JnK) January 23, 2026
Officials said priority was being given to restoring supply to critical installations, including hospitals and other emergency facilities, as restoration efforts continue across affected areas.
