Power cuts, cold waves haunts JK

Srinagar, Nov 29: Bitting cold coupled with acute power shortages affected normal life in the Kashmir valley where the minimum and maximum temperature remained below normal during the past one week.

Meanwhile, the state is approaching Centre for allocating coal blocks for setting up of a thermal power plant to meet the growing energy requirements.

People in several areas took to streets, protesting against the unscheduled long power cuts in the valley.

Residents of Budshah Nagar, Natipora, Batmaloo, Sonawar, Dalgate, Malroo, Banapora and other areas in the city alleged that they are facing power cut for hours without any prior information.

We are hardly getting four hours power during 24 hours, residents of several uptown areas alleged.

However, the situation in the far flung and remote areas was worse.

Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation is approaching the Centre for allocating coal blocks for setting up of a thermal power plant to meet the growing energy requirements.

An official spokesman said here today that this was stated at a meeting of the Board of Directors of Power Development Corporation, presided over by Governor N N Vohra yesterday.

The meeting was informed that Jammu and Kashmir required base load power of about 2,000 MW, as the power generation plummets drastically during the winter while the demand shoots up.

Being a non-coal bearing State, sufficient allocation of coal would be required for the proposed thermal plant.

Mr Vohra called for making all the power houses operational to their full capacities in view of the power shortage in the State.

The Board was informed that the third unit of the Baglihar Hydro Electric Project-I is under trial run and with the running of all the three units of 150 MW capacity each, the power generation will improve subject to availability of water in River Chenab.

UNI