KL Report
SRINAGAR
The unscheduled power cuts have become a routine matter in most areas of the flood hit Srinagar city and other parts of the valley from the last one week.
Residents of several areas including Bemina, Qamerwari and Batmalloo told KNS that power was playing hide-n-seek for the last one week. They said that they were forced to pay the power tariff according to the curtailment schedule but electricity was not provided in accordance with the schedule.
“Unscheduled power cuts have become a routine matter for past one week. After low velocity of windstorm, the power woes worsened,” said Mustaq Ahmad of Bemina.
Meanwhile, residents of some areas of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district said that instead of aluminum wire, the power officials have erected barbed wire on poplar and other trees. They said that at many places, the wire remained loosely suspended posing threat to their lives. “We requested the employees many a times to properly erect the poles and tie the aluminum wires for smooth supply but they ignored our pleas time and again,” said Kurseed Ahmad of Kalroos.
In other rural areas the situation is no better. Students said that the erratic supply has badly affected their studies. “We are forced to study under candle lights. Power scenario worsens in the evening hours and often supply is snapped for hours,” said Hilal Ahmad of Ashipora Handwara.
Residents of Baramulla and Sopore also complained of frequent power cuts from past couple of days throwing life out of gear. “We will be forced to take to streets if the department did not restore the power supply to normal without any further delay. We are subjected to power cuts time and again when we pay the tariff in time,” Kursheed Ahmad, a resident of Sopore told KNS.
When contacted the officials in the Power Department they said that we are supplying the power according to the schedule. “The rains during past two days, however, affected the supply as transmission lines were suspended at several places,” they said.
