Lack of power ails J&K villages

A village in south Kashmir with a population of about 2,500 and just 8 km from a major township is without electricity for the past five years. And this is not the only village without electricity in Jammu and Kashmir.

There are dozens of villages that still remain plunged in darkness in the country's backyard in Kashmir when India is signing energy deals with the major energy producers in the world. This is despite the fact that the state has richest hydel power resources in the entire country. Power has been the weakest link in the development of the state. "Industries and private sector could not really take of as dismal electric power situation deprived the entrepreneurs of much needed energy to establish units here," says Raouf Punjabi, president of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

For domestic consumer also, electricity has been heartburn, they have somehow now learnt to live with.

All and sundry attribute Jammu and Kashmir's dismal power scenario to Word Bank (WB) brokered Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan. Experts say that in absence of such a Treaty the state would have been self-sufficient in power generation and even could export a considerable quantum of power.

"There are restrictions on storage of water of the three rivers in state under Indus Water Treaty due to which the overall hydro-power generation potential of the rivers of the state gets reduced substantially," J&K Power Minister Rigzin Jora said. 

Now the government with the help of Army has formed an action plan for the construction of 1000 hydel electric projects under Rs 24,000 crore Prime Minister's Reconstruction Plan, announced in 2004.

Hill Kaka, a picturesque area in Jammu region, has taken lead in the setting up of first ever-micro hydel power project by Army in assistance of Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization (HESCO) headed by Dr Anil Joshi.

According to Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig, who also hold portfolio of Tourism and Finance, out of 1000 Micro Hydel Electric Projects, 300 have been taken up under Operation Sadhbhavana (Goodwill), 265 under Border Area Development Programme (BADP) and 435 under Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES). "Hundred projects would be constructed in Ladakh, 550 in Kashmir and 350 in Jammu."

With all limitations, the state government has so far harnessed a total of 1478.70 MW from about 20 hydro electric projects. Out of this, 308.7MW is generated through state sector while 1170MW are produced by central sector.

Further, projects worth 1655.86 MW in state sector, 3189MW in central sector and 59.25 MW in independent sector are under execution.