Residents of the frontier district of Kupwara on Saturday accused authorities for failing to provide them regular power supply which has severely impacted their normal lives.
People hailing from Lalpora, Sogam, Warnaw, Kalarose, Khumriyal, Main Town Kupwara, Trehgam, Kralpora, Karnah, Tanghdar, Drugmulla, Nagri, Kandi, Vadhpora, Kawari, Natnusa, Maidan Chogal, Gund Chogal, Magam, Vilgam, Tarthpora, Hangikote, Sirajpora, Sunmula, Main Town Handwara, Lower and Upper Rajwar, Mawer, Qaziabad and Kralgund complained about frequent power cuts in these areas.
People said that from the last 10 days power supply has been reduced to only few hours a day in the entire district.
BDC chairman Langate Showkat Pandit said that erratic power supply has always been a problem in Kupwara. “When only few hours of electricity is being supplied at the start of winter, one can imagine how worst the situation could be in the midst of winter season,” said Pandit.
Students especially of class 10th and 12th who are scheduled to appear in board exams next month said that irregular power supply is affecting their preparation. Kamil Bashir from Nagri said, “since most of the students belong to poor families and cannot afford inverter or genset, so it becomes difficult for them to even charge their cell phones resulting in their absence from online classes.”
Traders from Kupwara and Handwara said that due to irregular power supply their business is getting suffering. A local youth from Handwara said that after getting loan from bank he established a joinery mill in Chogal area but due to few hours of power supply he is unable to work properly.
Patients who are dependent on oxygen generating machines said that their life has become miserable in absence of irregular power supply. A senior journalist from Handwara said, “Since his mother is dependent on the oxygen generating machine, he has to pay 100 rupees per day to the owner of a genset to run the machine.”
Meanwhile when Greater Kashmir brought this issue to the notice of Additional District Development Commissioner Kupwara, he assured redressal of the problem and called a review meeting of Power Development Department on coming Tuesday.