Srinagar, Nov 26: Electricity demand in Kashmir has climbed sharply, with consumption projected to reach 6,727 million units (MU) in the current financial year, up from 5,868 MU last year. Officials say the rise reflects the growing use of electrical appliances and machinery across the Valley.
Data submitted to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) shows peak demand met at 1,980 megawatts (MW). To manage winter load, the Jammu and Kashmir Power Corporation Limited procured 393 MW under the SHAKTI policy, secured 600 MW from the Ministry of Power, and received an additional allocation of 1,094 MW to offset reduced hydro generation.
Authorities stressed that no distress or unscheduled cuts were imposed between October 2024 and March 2025. Instead, feeder-wise curtailment schedules were applied: zero-hour cuts for feeders with losses below 15 percent, two hours for those between 15–40 percent, and four hours for feeders above 40 percent.
KPDCL officials acknowledged that outages stem largely from system constraints and unmetered consumption. Infrastructure upgrades under UT CAPEX and centrally sponsored schemes, along with wider rollout of smart meters, are being pursued to improve billing accuracy and reduce losses.
Despite these measures, Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses remain high at 47 percent, among the worst in the country. In response, KPDCL has petitioned JERC for a 20 percent surcharge on electricity consumed during peak hours, a proposal that has sparked public criticism. The surcharge would apply between 6–9 am and 5–10 pm, coinciding with peak household usage in winter.
Critics argue the surcharge contradicts the government’s pre-poll promise of 200 free units of electricity for households. Officials maintain the measure is intended to rationalise demand and ease pressure on the distribution network, but the issue has already become politically charged.
With demand rising and losses mounting, the debate over tariffs highlights deeper challenges in Kashmir’s power sector, where efficiency and accountability remain pressing concerns.
