The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh slammed the government on Monday, noting electricity and heating system failures at its Srinagar wing. The highest court shared by the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh directed the Chief Secretary of J&K to act immediately to fix the "pathetic and unbelievable" condition.
"During Court hours, the High Court has suffered a complete power failure. The generator is also not working. There are no lights. The air heating unit (AHU) is also not functional," observed a Division Bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi during a case hearing.
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"It is pathetic and unbelievable that this is the condition of the Srinagar Wing of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh," remarked the Bench.
The power failure took place at about 09:45 a.m. and was still not restored until about 11.28 a.m. when the court passed the order.
"The matter has gone from bad to worse. There is a permanent solution that is required," stated the court, urging the Chief Secretary of the Union Territory (of J&K) to promptly address the issue.
The court stated that the options for a solution included having a separate, uninterrupted power line to the High Court and having generators large enough to power both the air conditioning unit and the entire High Court without interruption in the event that the High Court's dedicated power supply fails.
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The court has listed the matter again on Wednesday “at the top of the list for further orders.”
The On-Going Power Crisis In Kashmir
Overall, J&K has a requirement of about 2,600 MW of electricity. However, the power supply to the Kashmir division is 1200 MW while to Jammu is 900 MW. There is a deficit of about 500 MW.
The persistent power cuts have frustrated residents, particularly as smart metres are being installed, leading to widespread criticism of the administration for failing to deliver on its promise of uninterrupted power supply.
The reported daily power cuts of 12 to 16 hours have affected the lives of more than 70 lakh people. The onset of winter has exacerbated the situation, with temperatures plummeting below freezing in the Valley. While the plains of Kashmir have experienced rain, higher elevations are receiving snowfall, further lowering temperatures.
