Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, is feeling the heat as the power generation capacity in the state has come down to approximately 300 MW against the installed capacity of 1140 MW due to depleting water levels in rivers following deficient rainfall in the region.
Last week the Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar sanctioned 300 MW of additional power to J and K to reduce the electricity cuts even as the peak winter season is fast approaching in Kashmir valley.
The residents in the valley are nurturing high hopes that Abdullah, who is looking after the charge of the power department, will resolve the issue of the power crisis during his term in office.
Speaking at a conference of power ministers of states and Union territories in New Delhi on Tuesday, Omar Abdullah had said the Indus Water Treaty was restricting J and K's ability to harness its huge hydropower potential, primarily due to storage constraints.
"As a fallout of the treaty barriers, J and K pays a heavy price in the peak winter months when power generation hits a low, creating hardships for its people," Abdullah had said at the conference.
He had highlighted the limiting clauses in the treaty that restricted J and K from realising its full hydro power potential by only permitting run-of-the-river projects and said, "Hydro power is J and K's only viable energy source. The region is compelled to rely on power imports from other states, which adversely impacts its economy".
A day later, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti Wednesday said that the Abdullah-led government and other regional political parties should ask the Union government to return two power projects to J and K.
During his previous term in office, Abdullah had himself proposed to buy back NHPC-run power projects to resolve the issue of power crisis.
Questioning Omar Abdullah's stand on the issue, Mufti said, "Instead of questioning the Indus water treaty, we should ask the Indian government to return two power projects to solve the problem of power. If it does not happen, compensation should be given. This matter should be resolved between the Indian government and the J&K government. By questioning this we are starting a new battle, we are creating a new fight."
