SRINAGAR, NOV 22: Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has issued a renewed appeal to its consumers to use electricity responsibly in order to protect Distribution Transformers (DTs) from damage and prevent subsequent power outages. The corporation highlighted that 49 DTs were damaged across the Kashmir Valley on November 21 alone, reflecting a sharp increase in unsanctioned heating loads in all divisions of the region.
A KPDCL spokesperson expressed serious concern over the rising rate of DT damage early in the winter season and urged domestic consumers to adhere strictly to their sanctioned load limits. The spokesperson also warned against the use of crude heaters and boilers, which have been banned by the government. “While 49 DTs were damaged on November 21, 32 were damaged on November 20, 37 on November 19, and 40 on November 18,” the spokesperson added.
To address the issue, KPDCL has mobilized its Central Workshop at Pampore and Divisional Workshops, which are operating in double shifts to repair and restore the damaged DTs. Despite the damage, the corporation managed to repair and restore 143 of the 158 damaged DTs over the past four days.
The rising rate of DT damage and power outages has been largely attributed to the widespread use of crude heaters, boilers, and illegal power connections. In response, KPDCL has ramped up its inspection and disconnection drives across all electric divisions in the Kashmir Valley. On November 21 alone, 1484 inspections were conducted, resulting in the disconnection of 1396 domestic and 514 commercial installations for unauthorized power use. The corporation has committed to intensifying these inspection drives daily across all districts of Kashmir.
To manage the increasing risk of DT damage during the peak winter months, KPDCL has maintained a buffer stock of 1554 DTs, compared to 1412 DTs last year. The corporation emphasized its commitment to replacing damaged DTs within the specified timelines, though repeated damage due to unsanctioned load increases may lead to longer repair durations, considering the limited manpower at KPDCL’s Central and Divisional Workshops.
