Strong gusty winds on Thursday evening, followed by heavy snowfall in higher areas, caused serious damage to the power network across Kashmir. Large parts of the Valley were left without electricity, and by Friday morning only essential power lines were working.
Officials from Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL) said the weather was unusually severe and led to widespread faults at both sub-transmission and distribution levels.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
A senior official said strong winds blew rooftops off houses, which then fell onto 33 kV and 11 kV power lines. This caused heavy damage, frequent tripping, and major disruption. Restoration work has been slow due to bad weather and poor access, while field staff continue to work in very difficult conditions.
According to officials, the power system remained stable until around 10 pm on Thursday. After that, electricity demand dropped suddenly as several faults occurred at the same time.
“We witnessed a sharp and rare fall in demand. Our immediate priority was to protect the system and maintain power supply to essential services,” the official said.
KPDCL said it had made preparations in advance after snowfall warnings, especially for hilly and rural areas. However, continuous rain, strong winds, and heavy snowfall caused an unprecedented drop in power load.
The electricity load fell to just 93 MW around 10 pm, compared to the normal average load of about 1650 MW.
Many rooftops remained stuck on power lines, making repair work more difficult. At the sub-transmission level, 103 out of 135 of the 33 kV lines were down or under fault, leaving only around 24 percent of the network active.
At the distribution level, 1275 out of 1302 of the 11 kV feeders were down or faulty by Friday morning. Restoration work started early and was closely monitored by senior officers.
By Friday evening, nearly 80 percent of the power network had been restored, with a load of 1050 MW. Priority was given to hospitals and other vital installations.
The worst-affected districts include Shopian, Kulgam, Baramulla, and Budgam. Officials said nearly 4.5 feet of snow in higher areas has badly affected repair work, as vehicle movement remains difficult.
Damage to a transmission tower at Sheeri on the Delina–Lower Jhelum Hydroelectric Project 132 kV line further delayed restoration. Teams from Jammu and Kashmir Power Transmission Corporation Limited (JKPTCL) are working to restore the line using an emergency system.
KPDCL said all efforts are being made to restore electricity across Kashmir as soon as possible, with teams and machinery deployed on a war-footing basis.
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