IIOJK faces worsening electricity crisis amid harsh winter
Srinagar: Despite the installation of smart meters and promises to upgrade the power infrastructure, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir is grappling with severe power outages, exacerbated by plunging winter temperatures.
According to Kashmir Media Service, as the IIOJK faces an unprecedented energy crisis, unscheduled power cuts have become a daily ordeal for residents, pushing the territory to the brink. Power outages this winter have already surpassed last year’s crisis, with 16 of Kashmir’s 36 power grids rendered non-operational due to reduced power allocation.
The situation is particularly dire in Srinagar and rural areas, where residents have stopped counting power curtailment hours and instead sarcastically measure the few hours of electricity they receive—typically in single digits out of 24 hours.
The unscheduled blackouts have severely impacted residents, businesses, and medical patients. Oxygen-dependent patients are facing life-threatening situations, as many concentrators are incompatible with inverters.
A resident whose father requires oxygen support stated, “Every power cut sends us into panic. Despite government assurances of improvement, the reality on the ground continues to worsen.”
Meanwhile, IIOJK faces higher power cuts than smaller Indian states, despite having lower per capita power consumption. Compared to Himachal Pradesh, IIOJK continues to experience severe shortages, particularly during the harsh winter months in occupied territory.
Himachal Pradesh, a smaller state than IIOJK, has a per capita electricity consumption of 1799 kWh, higher than IIOJK’s 1526 kWh, according to the Indian Central Electricity Authority (CEA). This disparity also extends to other neighboring states, with Chandigarh at 1674 kWh, Punjab at 2574 kWh, Delhi at 1848 kWh, and Haryana at 2360 kWh.
