J-K to generate additional 3200 MWs of electricity within three years

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir administration has been building up power infrastructure and power projects to meet Union Territory’s electricity requirement.

J&K has purchased power for around Rs 30,000 crore during the last one decade and there has been a revenue realization gap of Rs 3,000 crore annually, thus putting a huge burden on the state exchequer. Besides that, Union Territory has poor infrastructure of electricity, resulting often in disruption of power.

However, the administration has sanctioned projects worth around Rs 13,000 crore for building up power infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Within next three years, we will also be able to generate additional electricity over 3200 MWs which will cost around Rs 30,000 crore. There won’t be any electricity deficit by 2025 and all people will get electricity round the clock,” a senior official told the news agency KINS.

The official said that existing transformers and power lines are also in bad shape. “There are technical snags in electricity due to poor power infrastructure,” the official added.

Jammu and Kashmir is energy deficient and has to rely on power purchases from the Northern region grid to meet its requirements, especially during winters when demand peaks and its own generation reduces drastically. The total number of consumers is 9.65 lakh in Kashmir with a load of around 1700 MW.

The official said the government over the years had failed to upgrade the existing system in grid stations in Kashmir. “But since last year, there has been a huge improvement in power infrastructure,” the official said.

Besides building electricity infrastructure and generation of electricity, the government is contemplating to make replacement of incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent lamps with energy-efficient LED lamps in all households of the Union Territory.

Officials said it will help to reduce power consumption in Jammu and Kashmir. Under this programme, officials said the power development department is likely to distribute 80 lakh LED bulbs in Jammu and Kashmir which will help to reduce peak demand in J&K by about 250 MW.