The Chief Minister’s Office stated on Friday that the Kashmir Valley is facing an unprecedented power crisis, with the active electricity load plummeting to less than 100 MW against a usual demand of 1700 MW.
This collapse is attributed to the outage of nearly all 33KV feeders, including those supplying power to critical and emergency services.
In an official communiqué shared on the Chief Minister’s social media account, it was reported that restoration teams have been deployed on the ground. However, extensive damage caused by heavy tree falls on power lines, compounded by ongoing adverse weather and windy conditions, is severely hampering repair efforts.
A comprehensive damage assessment is underway but is expected to be delayed due to the prevailing inclement weather.
Meanwhile, normal life remains completely paralysed across Kashmir following a major overnight heavy snowfall, which has also broken a prolonged dry spell in the Kashmir valley.
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The winter fury has severed Kashmir’s connectivity, with all air traffic suspended and flights cancelled for the day. All major highways linking Kashmir to the rest of the country have also been closed to traffic.
In the Jammu division, authorities have ordered the closure of many schools as a precautionary measure following the abrupt weather change. The Meteorological Department has forecast another spell of wet weather expected to commence from January 26. (KNS)
