VALLEY PLUNGED INTO DARKNESS AS DARBAR MOVES TO WINTER CAPITAL
Srinagar, Nov 11: As the archaic practice of the shifting of civil secretariat to Jammu called ‘Darbar Move’ in local parlance took place in the first week of November, the Kashmir valley is reeling under relentless bouts of load-shedding causing grave inconvenience to local populace. Schools, Newspaper offices, civilian homes and government offices are unanimously bearing the brunt of massive load-shedding and the work in majority of the offices is paralyzed.
Shaziya is a toddler from the uptown area of Rajbagh. Every morning she leaves for school where she has to endure biting cold and hardly removes her hands from her pockets. The only electronic hot air fan in her classroom is not working as the electricity is not there.
“It is pathetic to see children bearing the brunt of cold. In such cold conditions they are hardly able to concentrate on their studies. The load-shedding is creating havoc with their education,” says Shaziya’s teacher Samreen Khan.
While the valley is bestowed with tremendous potential to tap hydro-electricity, the fact remains that Kashmir valley has not received its fair share as far as the electricity is concerned. The intellectual class of the valley together with the separatists and the mainstream leaders has unanimously criticized the exploitation of the water resources of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Valley has tremendous potential to tap hydro-electricity. We have plenty of multi-millionaires in Kashmir valley. It is strange that while the government is showing dismal interest in power sector, business class of our society comfortably prefers to look the other way in as far as investing in the power sector is concerned. On paper government makes tall claims about being self-sufficient in hydro-power in the immediate future, the reality is that the businessmen in Punjab and Delhi are thriving on our power and our own industry sector is in doldrums,” said a teacher at the University of Kashmir while pleading for anonymity.
The foreign tourists who have arrived in the valley also rue the fact that one of the most beautiful places on earth with so many of gushing rivers has to reel under darkness. Vander Van Kok is a Dutch adventurer who loves to trek the mountains of Kashmir.
“It is really strange to see load-shedding in this part of the world. This area has the potential to develop hydro-electricity. There should not be any load-shedding here,” says a Dutch tourist Vander Van Kok as he enjoys traditional cuisine under candle light in a houseboat and mockingly calls it a ‘Candle Light Dinner’.
The Kashmir Scenario office received complaints from almost all the districts of the valley including the summer capital Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kulgam, Bandipora, Kupwara and Shopian. One of the callers from the uptown locality of Rajbagh was perplexed that despite being a metered area, rajbagh has to endure around six to seven hours of load shedding daily.
“Every time I leave for office there is no electricity. Every time I come back from the office there is no electricity. I fail to understand why there is so much of load shedding in a metered area like Rajbagh. I think with darbar move the scene has gone worse,” says Mushtaq Bhat a resident from Rajbagh.
A caller from Panzan village of Budgam district telephonically conveyed to The Kashmir Scenario office that there village has to endure load-shedding of 12-14 hours in a day.
“Electricity is a rare thing. When we see the electric bulb we get a feeling as if a guest has arrived. As a humble guest the electricity does not bother its host for long. The recurring hide and seek of electricity has made our life hell,” says Manzoor Dar of panzan village.
The work has been equally badly hit in newspaper offices with many newspapers forced to skip issues and many weekly newspapers going behind schedule. Iqbal Ahmad covers Srinagar district for a Jammu-based newspaper. The pestering power cuts have affected his work badly.
“I have to file news stories regularly. The recurring power supply has hampered my work badly. Since some stories have a limited shelf life. I am not able to send my stories on a regular basis and get calls from my editor about the laxity in work. The government must address the load-shedding issue,” says Iqbal while showing the diminishing battery life of his laptop.
The administration though rattled by repeated complaints of undue power cuts remains doggedly averse to the prospect of restoring electricity. Fanatically convinced that since the legislators are in Jammu the state administration in Kashmir province wants to do the proverbial ‘the mice can play while the cat is away’.
When contacted the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Farooq Ahmad Pir said that he was not the right person to be asked this question to.
” Ask the right person. It is not my domain. Please call up the Chie Engineer Power Development Department. He may give you the right answer,” DC Srinagar told The Kashmir Scenario.The chief engineer Power Development Department (PDD) did not pick up the phone despite repeated attempts to contact him.
While the state bureaucracy is dodging responsibility and evading direct questions, opposition People’s Democratic Party(PDP)-having 2014 elections in mind-is leaving no stone unturned to corner state government on the load-shedding issue.
Nayeem Akhtar, spokesperson of the PDP referred to the recurring power cuts as a parting gift of the Omar Abdulaah led coalition government.
“It is shameful to see the whole valley plunged into darkness. The recurring power cuts is a parting gift from the Omar Abdullah led coalition government, “Nayem Akhtar told a Srinagar based news agency.
The problem has become more adverse with the early onset of wintry chill in November. The power cuts take place during day time and evening hours.
The leader of the Communist Party of India Muhamad yusuf Tarigami is aghast at the dismal progress the state has made in the power sector. In an interview with The Kashmir Scenario Tarigami expressed his displeasure over the dismal state of power in the Kashmir valley.
“This has been a trend from last so many years. With darbar move, the electricity also goes to Jammu. The people are suffering. The present coalition government must address the problems of the power sector,” Tarigami told The Kashmir Scenario.