Power potential – a saga of failures in J&K

NL Correspondent

SRINAGAR: While Jammu and Kashmir has vast potential of power, the state is facing acute power crisis as the government has failed to harness the solar power and generate hydro electricity to meet its requirement.

J&K is one among the states having huge potential of solar and hydro power, from where electricity can be supplied to other parts of the country. But the government here has failed to tap the solar power potential and generate much hydro electricity on its own that would meet the power requirement of the state.

Jammu Kashmir has second highest potential of solar power in India.  As per the study conducted by the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), J&K has a solar power potential of 111.05 GWp, the second highest in India after Rajasthan that has the potential of 142 GWp. J&K according to official sources has failed to harness solar power to meet the state power requirement.

According to official sources, J&K could not generate even single unit of solar energy during 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16. However, during the current year the generation till November was less than 0.89 Million Units (MU).

Sources said the Centre has sanctioned several solar power projects to J&K but there has been no headway in implementation of these programmes.

“Even pre-feasibility reports are yet to be prepared whether establishments of projects would be financially viable,” an official said, who is associated with the harnessing of solar power in the state.

“There has been least focus of the government to harness the solar power in the state. The higher authorities have to take the decision in this regard,” the official added.

The state has a hydroelectricity potential of 20,000 MWs of which around 3000 MWs have been identified so far.

The Centre owned National Hydro Electricity Power Corporation (NHPC) is generating around 2000 MWs from its seven power projects. The J&K gets a share of just 13 percent as standard royalty from the electricity generated in the state besides getting few hundred crores of rupees.

Chief Engineer Kashmir, Power Development Department, Shehnaz Goni, said the department receives around 1200 MWs of electricity and same is being supplied to the people. “There is demand for around 1700 MWs in Kashmir. If people use electricity judiciously then there will be improvement in power supply,” she said. However, she said purchasing power does not fall in her domain.