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People in Chenab Valley struggling badly in absence of power supply

Young Bites. Dated: 2/14/2019 10:42:50 AM

Kamran Khan
Bhaderwah, Feb 13
The residents of Chenab valley are struggling badly from last 7 days without electricity. This area provides electricity to almost whole of J&K and to some neighbouring states, but people of Kishtwar, Bhaderwah and Doda including many areas of Ramban are suffering a lot due to official negligence.
Even the village roads have not been cleared of snow. People ask Government why they cannot undertake snow clearance under NREGA in villages of Doda and Kishtwar. "
Our resources are being vandalized by authorities, our forests were destroyed to make hydro-power projects in Kishtwar and Doda areas , but when it comes to supply of un interrupted power , we hardly get it. We will not tolerate this step-motherly treatment of Government said Adv Majid Malik while talking to young bites.
Our district is without electricity from last 7 days and nothing is being done Even most of the villages have not been cleared of snow. Why can't Rural Development Department utilize NREGA funds for road clearance in villages?
Snowfall in three important districts of Jammu Province have exposed the faults in the 132-KV transmission line of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).Nine towers of the line have been severely damaged between Batote and Kishtwar and electricity hasn’t been restored in these districts so far. At many places, the connectors have also been damaged.
But still on Doda Bhaderwah line work is not started as there is no infrastructure available to PDD and STD employees and seniors are dictacing terms to juniors without any assistance and some officers had not resume their work which clearly indicates power will take more than ten days to restore in Bhaderwah he further added.
The 132-KV transmission line carries electricity from the northern grid towards Doda and Kishtwar districts and even a small fault on this line brings darkness in both districts.
Sources told that the NHPC had not upgraded these towers as per requirement and they get damaged whenever heavy rain or snow lashes the area. “There is an immediate need to upgrade towers as per the requirement and carry out maintenance work during summer so that power is not snapped during winter,” a source said.
On the contrary, the power being generated in the NHPC-run 390-mega watt Dul Hasti hydroelectric power project in Kishtwar district is being transmitted to the northern grid uninterrupted.Two lines of 400-KV and 220-KV capacity, belonging to the Power Grid Corporation of India, didn’t get damage in the snowfall.There is a sense among people that every now and then, the incoming line develops faults but the outgoing line never develops any snag because the government earns more from the projects from Chenab Valley.