Anantnag: As winter approaches in Kashmir, unscheduled power cuts disrupt life across the valley. While residents, especially students, struggle to cope with limited electricity, the industrial sector is also bearing the brunt and bringing challenges for business owners as well as workers.
Thousands of small and large-scale industrial units across Kashmir provide livelihoods to countless families. However, during winters, frequent and unscheduled power cuts severely impact the productivity of these units.
Zaffar Farooq Salati, President of the Anantnag Industrial Estate Union, while emphasizing the critical role of these industries in social and economic development, noted that uninterrupted electricity is essential for their operation.
“Industries are not only a mere source of income for the unit holders but also provide support to thousands of skilled workers and labourers. Without a reliable power supply, the livelihood of these individuals is at stake,” said Salati.
Salati noted that although essential power lines have been established in industrial estates to ensure uninterrupted power, load-shedding during the winter months often disrupts these arrangements. Moreover, during winters, essential power lines, exclusively reserved for industrial areas, too are sometimes diverted to residential areas. This diversion causes industrial units to rely on expensive generators, which increases operational costs, and financial losses for business owners, added Salati. He urged authorities to ensure uninterrupted power supply to these commercial units even during times of electricity shortages.
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