Srinagar, Nov 13, TEN Network | Parts of the Kashmir valley have been shrouded in darkness for a whole week now owing to the disruption of the power grid since heavy snowfall lashed the newly-created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Several districts in the northern and southern parts of Kashmir continue to reel under darkness.
Officials concerned with the supply of electricity in the UT have told media outlets that transmission towers connecting the northern grid of power with the rest of Kashmir collapsed due to heavy snowfall. Districts Baramullah and Bandipur in the north and Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama in the south have been identified as the worst-affected regions.
Explaining how the lack of supply has affected day-to-day lives, one local told Mirror Now that concerned authorities have failed to provide an adequate supply of water and electricity to the people of the UT since the snowfall earlier this month. We have been living in darkness since the disruption of the power grid, said another. Earlier this year, top municipal officers had claimed that they are ready to ensure disruption of services during the harsh winters witnessed by the former state and now-Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Not just households but harsh weather conditions have also taken a toll on businesses in the valley. The recent snowfall has damaged close to 35 per cent of the UT’s orchards, says data released by J&K’s horticulture department. Chief Engineer (Kashmir) of the Power Development Department Hashmat Qazi on Tuesday told a national daily that power supply is being restored in North Kashmir. The snowfall had damaged close to 5000 electricity poles, said Qazi adding that half of these have been replaced until now.(Times Now)
