Power restored in Gulmarg, parts of North Kashmir after three days

Srinagar: Freezing cold prevailed in Kashmir Valley today where Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 14.5 degree Celsius but there was some respite for people of the city and parts of north Kashmir as electricity was restored after three days.

Communication woes, however, continued for the people of the Valley with the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, Kashmir’s only road link with rest of the country, remaining closed for the fourth day as authorities were trying to clear Ramban-Banihal and Batote-Patnitop stretches.

Due to the closure of the highway, over 2200 vehicles are stranded at Jammu, Nagrota, Udhampur, Chenani and Ramban.

Officials said electricity supply was restored in 90 percent of the areas in the Summer capital and in many areas of north Kashmir following restoration of Kishenpur-Wagoora transmission line.

He said electricity in south Kashmir areas is likely to be restored later this evening.

Due to unprecedented snowfall in higher reaches of Pir Panjal mountains, a fault had developed on Kishanpur-Wagoora Transmission Line at Pogal Paristan besides affecting as many as 19 grid stations.

Earlier on Sunday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had assured that power supply to the region would be restored today.

“Weather permitting, the normal electricity supply in Kashmir Valley will be restored by Monday evening or Tuesday morning,” Omar told reporters here.

Kashmir Valley plunged into darkness on Friday following moderate to heavy snowfall across the region.

Briefing the media about the restoration work, he said the Kishanpore-Pampore transmission line will be restored by later this evening, while the Kishanpore-Wagoora line is expected to be restored by Monday evening.

The chief minister said the power crisis was triggered by unexpected snowfall in south of Pir Panjal range. “Normally, the maximum damage to the power infrastructure takes place in Kashmir Valley but we have had unexpected snowfall on the other side of the Pir Panjal which has resulted in snapping of the transmission line at multiple places,” he said.

Omar said he has kept the state helicopter available to power grid corporation to facilitate the speedy restoration of the transmission line.

“We have around 200 MWs available right now which we are feeding hospitals, water supply schemes and other essential services,” he said.

He said the snow clearance on Srinagar-Jammu national highway is also in full swing and the 294-km road is likely to reopen for one-way traffic Monday evening.

“Snow clearing is on between Ramban and Banihal while the four kilometer stretch between Batote and Patnitop is still blocked,” the chief minister said adding the Banihal-Srinagar stretch of the highway has been cleared for traffic.

Omar govt has failed to connect itself with masses: PDP

On Sunday, the PDP lashed out at the Omar Abdullah government, saying it had failed to connect with the masses during its three-year rule.

“The present dispensation during the past three years has failed to connect itself with the masses,” PDP patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said.

“The state government has miserably failed to carry forward the peace and reconciliation process started by the previous PDP-Congress government in the state,” he told a public meeting here.

Widening gap between the common people and the ruling elite had led to alienation of the people from the government, Sayeed said.

Kashmir has gone back to the stone age, fumes Opposition

The PDP also accused Omar Abdullah of responding to the electricity crisis in the Valley with “juvenile pranks”.

“Kashmir has gone back to the stone age, thanks to collapse of government under Omar Abdullah. He is responding with juvenile pranks to a crisis in Kashmir valley that is result of malfunctioning of his government than by any natural phenomenon,” PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said.

“The announcement of chief minister to postpone restoration of electricity to the VIP areas of Srinagar is meaningless as all the VIPs including ministers and top bureaucrats are in Jammu,” she said in a statement.

Mehbooba also alleged that the water supply was out of gear, hospitals were unable to cope with the inflow of patients, and the telecommunication system had broken down in the state.

The recent snowfall had exposed the tall claims of the government, which had failed to minimise the miseries of the common masses at the time of crisis, she alleged.

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PTI