Hydel Power Generation in Jammu & Kashmir Drops by 70%, Valley Faces Severe Power Shortage
SRINAGAR: In Jammu and Kashmir, hydel power generation has reduced by nearly 70 per cent from the local generation plants.
An official informed that power generation from all power plants owned by Jammu and Kashmir has decreased by nearly 800–900 Megawatts (MW).
The official also said, “The power generation from across local power plants is currently ranging from 330 MW to 400 MW.”
It also said, “From one of the plants at Baglihar, the power generation is ranging from 250–380 MW, and in the case of another power plant at Baglihar, Kishenpur, and New Wanpoh, we are generating a maximum of one MW.”
The official further informed that the department is able to generate only 71 MW from Kashmir-based power plants.
About the power load and forced curtailment, the official said there was a forecast of 1750 MW load and a forced curtailment of 40 MW in Kashmir on Monday.
“In the morning, we recorded a power load of 1742 MW in Kashmir division and 1036 MW in Jammu division respectively,” the official said.
Pertinently, Jammu and Kashmir was generating over 1100 MW of power from the total generation capacity of 1197.4 MW during the peak season.
Earlier, in the last week of October, the official had informed KNO that there were an additional 800 MW allocated from the Centre. “From this year, we have 1300 MW from the central pool. We have started banking with other states.”
Pertinently, till the third week of February 2025, an official had said that Jammu and Kashmir was relying on more than 85 per cent of coal and solar power amid an acute deficit of hydel power generation.
Officials of the PDD department had claimed that local hydel power generation from the local power plants had reduced by nearly 90 per cent.
An official had informed that “At present, Jammu and Kashmir is 85–90 per cent dependent on coal and solar energy that is being procured from other states because, as of now, we don’t have local power generation.” (KNO)