Residents suffer power, water pangs

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 5

While the sweltering heat and humid conditions have made the lives of people miserable, unscheduled power cuts for the last 48 hours have added to misery with most of the residential localities facing severe electricity and drinking water scarcity.

While the government machinery is enjoying in the cool environs of the Kashmir valley, resentment is growing among people, who say they are still waiting for ‘achhe din’.

With no respite from the scorching conditions engulfing Jammu, the residents are facing a tough time in bearing the situation. People are forced to spend sleepless nights and agonising days.

Senior officials of the Power Development Department (PDD) blame the tripping of transformers to heat and unregistered load.

The department has even failed to ensure regular power supply in metered areas, which are paying regular rent. This has affected the drinking water distribution as special power lines connecting pumping stations have got affected.

“Since Saturday evening, there have frequent cuts in our area and fluctuation in electricity, rendering all our electronic cooling gadgets useless. The entire region is in the grip of an intense heat wave, but power and water supply is erratic. We are literally spending sleepless nights. It has become a regular feature now despite people paying rent,” said Pankaj Sharma, a resident of Roop Nagar.

Several residential localities are the worst affected by the unscheduled power cuts. Such residential areas include Paloura, Roop Nagar, Bantalab, Barnai, Muthi, Janipur, Rehari, Subash Nagar, Resham Ghar Colony, Talab Tillo, Anand Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Channi Himmat, Parade, Kachi Chawni and Bari Brahman.

The power requirement of Jammu and Kashmir was 2,300 MW, but the state had a shortfall of between 650 and 700 MW with the availability of 1,650 MW of electricity from all sources. This had to be distributed between the Jammu region and the Kashmir valley.

However, Chief Engineer, PDD, Ajay Gupta, was not available for comment. He did not respond to repeated telephone calls to get his views on the situation.

Meanwhile, protests were organised in the city against the Public Health Engineering Department and the PDD for the failure to regulate supply due to which people had been suffering.

Protesters led by Dogra Front president Ashok Gupta alleged that while ministers and MLAs had shifted to Kashmir, the common man was suffering.

“When the BJP and the PDP were not in power, they used to blame the then government for the mess during summer. But now, when they are running the show, there is no improvement in the system. Why are they silent and not taking steps to mitigate the problems of the common man?” said Gupta.