KV Correspondent

As power situation worsens, sale of alternate power sources soars

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Srinagar: With the power situation worsening across Kashmir Valley, people have started looking for alternate power sources  like noiseless gene sets, inverters and solar backups to light up their dwellings and work places.

“There are more power cuts than scheduled curtailment announced by the government for the winter months across the valley, we are left with no other option but to buy alternate  power sources to illuminate our houses,” scores of  people told ‘Kashmir Wire’.

They said the government has announced 42 hour power cut in non-metered areas while metered areas are scheduled to face 21 hour power cut during a week. But this is not so, power cuts are resorted to outside the announced scheduled also in both metered and non-metered areas.

The locals also questioned the government policy about non-metered areas arguing that  hardly any area in the City and towns is without meters.

However, these areas have been marked non-metered areas for longer duration of power cuts for no valid reason.

“When meters have been installed in our localities why have we been listed in ‘non-metered’ area,” questioned Ghulam Mohammad of Dilsoz colony Natipora in Srinagar.  Substantiating his claim, he said in our neighborhood  lies Azad Basti which is recorded as ‘metered area’. They enjoy a much better power supply compared to us, ” he added.

Notably, businessmen associated with the trade of selling gas operated water heaters, solar power back ups and battery operated inverters are happy as their sales have gone up.

“Our sales have gone up during the past one week as people from various areas are buying the gadgets to not only keep themselves warm but to illuminate their houses”, a shopkeeper in Lal Chowk area said.

“Since electricity is hardly provided in villages, people buy solar panels because it requires no electricity to generate back up. But people from urban localities choose battery inverters,” says Owais Masoodi of ‘Millennium Technologies’ who is the distributor of ‘Exide’ batteries for North Kashmir.

Last year the demand was not as haigh as it is being witnessed this year. Nowadays people want uninterrupted power supply. So this year we see sales have gone up,” says Asim Irshad, dealing with solar equipments in Sopore town.

Apart from battery operated power back ups, gensets too are in demand.

The board examination going on in the valley has also shot up the demand for inverters and gen sets, with  parents seeking alternative ways to help their children for an uninterrupted power supply which in turn has helped the manufacturers and dealers.

Qurat ul Ain, appearing in 10th board exams feels the hide and seek of electricity affects her preparations for the exams.

“We got a solar backed inverter for the uninterrupted power supply, as there was no other option available with us. Either you have to spend some thousands and purchase an inverter or you simply have not  to appear in the examination. An alternative power back-up device has become mandatory for every household now,” Qurat ul Ain added. (Kashmir Wire)

 

 

 


KV Correspondent

Kashmir Correspondent cover all daily updates for the newspaper

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