Ramzan, the Islamic holy month marked by dawn-to-dusk fast, was never easy, but it has been particularly hard this time in Kashmir with people mostly beginning and breaking their fast in the dark.
With the fasting period beginning on March 11, chronic power outages that last 10 to 16 hours make cooking, washing and showering before prayers difficult.
Gruelling, unscheduled power outages are not new to Kashmir but the situation, residents say, usually improves after mid-winter and is almost restored by March-end. The unprecedented rise in power cuts this year during Ramzan have overwhelmed the residents with no explanation provided by the authorities overseeing the generation and distribution of electricity in Kashmir valley. “Power outages continue unabated throughout Jammu & Kashmir. One would think that the PDD [Power Development Department] would make more efforts to ensure adequate power supply during Ramzan,” Iltija Mufti, daughter of former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, said.
The long spell of outages has added to the pangs of residents already saddled with the mandatory installation of smart meters. J&K’s power department has started a large-scale drive to install prepaid smart meters, increased tariffs and cracked down on consumers defaulting on their bills to reduce its losses. This has caused anxiety among residents, especially from lower-income groups, which describe electricity bills as “exorbitant and unaffordable”.
Amir Wani, a salesman, is among hundreds of anxious locals of Saidapora Achan area, a suburb in Srinagar mostly inhabited by lower-income groups. “Electricity supply was cut off for prolonged hours as a collective punishment in freezing weather. PDD officials have threatened several times to permanently cut off supply if smart meters were not installed and monthly charge not paid as per usage, unlike the flat rate offered to us in the past,” Amir, who is the sole breadwinner of a family of eight, said.
J&K, like many other regions in India, has both unmetered and metered connections. The UT has a total of 21.95 lakh electricity connections. A senior PDD official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, put the meter coverage at 51%.
People with unmetered connections pay a flat rate every month while those with meters pay according to actual usage. Also, in both cases, electricity bills were payable in monthly cycles and the power department rarely cut the connections in case of payment delays.
The installation of smart meters, a nationwide exercise, will change that since consumers will have to recharge their meters before consuming electricity – just like they recharge prepaid mobile phones. If the meters aren’t recharged, electricity supply will automatically stop.
“With most people earning around ₹15,000-₹20,000 a month in Saidapora, who can afford to pay ₹3,000-₹4,000 every month to keep two rooms warm in winters? The power bill is around 20-25% of the total monthly income,” said Amir. According to him, the monthly power bill far exceeds the school fees that he pays for his two children every month.
Abrogation of Article 370
The Centre’s move to end the special constitutional status of J&K in 2019 was followed by a massive structural revamp of the power sector in J&K. The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 of Parliament repealed the J&K Electricity Act, 2010, and installed, in its place, the Central Electricity Act, 2003.
In October 2019, the J&K administration approved the unbundling of the PDD into several corporations – J&K State Power Transmission Company Ltd, J&K State Power Trading Company Ltd, Jammu Power Distribution Company Ltd (JPDCL) and Kashmir Power Distribution Company Ltd (KPDCL). The aim, a government spokesman said, was to make these utilities self-reliant and cost-efficient.
While smart meters are being installed in phases, the utilities have already increased tariffs for various categories of consumers.
“There has been a unilateral increase in the flat rates from ₹900 to ₹1,500. Notwithstanding the increase, unmetered areas suffer more than 10 hours of power cuts a day,” Nazim Dar, a teacher and Saidapora resident, said.
He said the non-availability of power supply has affected the health of old patients, especially those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Just for context, Kashmir valley, home to over 70 lakh people, reports a high prevalence of COPD cases at 17.3%, and doctors prescribe long-term oxygen therapy that extends up to 15 hours a day. “Besides oxygen supply, they need a warm room to survive the winter,” Nazim said, adding that power cuts are also taking a toll on students’ education.
Loose connection
J&K’s power scenario has been grim over the years, given the growing demand and poor revenue generation. For decades, it has suffered from power liability. The UT borrowed ₹32,000 crore in the past two years to pay outstanding dues to suppliers — NHPC Ltd and NTPC Ltd, which are both owned by the Central government.
Official figures point out ₹6,234 crore revenue deficit, with the government spending ₹9,886 crore on buying electricity annually and generating revenue of around ₹3,652 crore.
The tariff hike and the smart meter drive are aimed at bridging this deficit. The PDD says it has covered 1.5 lakh consumers in Jammu and Srinagar cities under smart meters. It plans to step up coverage to 5.50 lakh smart meters this year and target 14 lakh consumers by 2026.
“The flat rate bills, based on rough estimates, do not reflect the actual usage... In the present era, where energy measurements are digitally done right from the generating end, it is paramount to ensure accurate measurement at the consumers’ end too,” the PDD said in a statement.
Payment delays and power thefts have also prompted the authorities to impose penalties and disconnect supply. Mussarat Islam, Managing Director of KPDCL, informed earlier this year that 26,746 electricity connections were disconnected in January 2024 for non-payment of dues. “Around ₹7.50 crore was collected on account of penalties imposed on those consumers who were stealing power by unauthorised means,” he added.
On March 18, a KPDCL spokesman warned the consumers: “This is the financial year’s closing month. Please clear your outstanding dues and avoid auto/remote disconnection.”
In central Kashmir’s Budgam, the KPDCL has started confiscating faulty transformers till dues are cleared, leaving hundreds of consumers in darkness.
Residents of Budgam’s Ichgam area recently took to the streets against the “high-handedness” of the power department. “We are not rich people. Most residents rely on small-time income sources. We cannot afford more than ₹700 per month. The department changed our flat rate from ₹660 in November last year to ₹1,560 now — more than doubled in five months. This is zulm (oppression),” a protester said.
Shaming on social media
As if the long hours of darkness were not enough to break the fortitude of residents battling the worst power crisis in decades, what added insult to their injuries was the electricity department’s attempt to hit back at public criticism by shaming alleged pilferers. The KPDCL posted hundreds of such videos on social media in an apparent attempt to shame those who delay bill payments or who allegedly steal electricity by installing a direct hook on the service line. However, the absence of a similar ‘shaming’ campaign in Jammu has led to murmurs of regional discrimination.
“This naming-and-shaming exercise has tarnished the reputation of tax-paying consumers like me. Our houses reflect the savings of many generations. Many of us inherit big houses but remain without employment,” a consumer, whose house was listed online, said on condition of anonymity.
The poor electricity scenario has become a source of constant street protests in Kashmir after 2019. Women protesters in many areas resisted the installation of meters. In response, the power department imposed blackouts in those areas. In February, an online video went viral where women were seen singing Wanwun, a style of lyrical singing meant for weddings, as a mark of protest in Srinagar’s Eidgah area – Aab to sonuy, power te sonuy, meter kazi lag chuniyah? (Water belongs to us, power belongs to us, why would you install a meter). The KPDCL’s iron-hand approach has also resulted in frequent confrontations between consumers and the KPDCL staff. Two police cases were registered against agitating consumers in Budgam and Baramulla by the discom.
Descent into darkness
Tariffs and smart meters aside, the origins of J&K’s power problems lie in inadequate generation and high aggregate technical and commercial losses (AT&C). According to official figures, J&K’s power generation capacity is around 3,633 MW, far below its potential of 18,392 MW. NHPC is the highest power generator with a capacity of 2,339 MW from eight hydro projects, followed by the JKPDC with 1,220.96 MW from 23 projects and 10-25 MW from nine private producers.
This year, as winter demand rose to 3,200 MW, local generation fell to 300-600 MW due to reduced water levels in the rivers.
Meanwhile, the AT&C losses, which take into account the Average Cost of Supply (ACS) and the Average Revenue Realised (ARR), stood at a staggering 58% in Kashmir and 44% in Jammu. The losses were projected to come down to 48.77% in Kashmir by 2023, according to the J&K Economic Survey report. In contrast, the national level AT&C losses have reduced from 22.3% in 2020-21 to 16.4% in 2021-22.
Locals also complain that, unlike some better-off States, consumers in J&K don’t get any free units and pay similar tariffs even though its per capita income is far lower. For instance, Punjab’s per capita annual income is ₹1.81 lakh and it offers 300 free units a month. Delhi, which has a per capita income of ₹4.44 lakh, and Karnataka, with ₹3.01 lakh per capita income, give 200 units free each. J&K, with mere ₹1.36 lakh per capita income, offers no free units to its consumers.
According to official figures, J&K has 56.31 lakh people under Priority Household category and nearly 9.21 lakh under Antyodaya Anna Yojana category. This population is dependent on subsidised or free ration but is still expected to pay for electricity.
Many residents believe that in the absence of an elected government, even political parties are not interested in taking up their cause.
J&K Apni Party (JKAP) is the only political party that has made electricity a poll plank. “Our party [when it comes to power] will provide 500 units of free electricity to consumers of the Valley in winter and 300 units in summer. In Jammu, 500 units of electricity would be given free in summer and 300 units in winter. Also, we will give four gas cylinders free to every household annually to reduce dependence on electricity,” Ghulam Hassan Mir, a senior JKAP leader, said.
But until the time such promises turn into reality, residents can only wait for the dark period to get over.
