JAMMU, DECEMBER 31 – Residents of the Sunjwan area of Jammu, particularly those living around Barmani Road near Shiv Mandir and Green Valley, are facing severe inconvenience due to frequent and irregular power breakdowns over the past several days, triggering widespread resentment among the local population.
The affected residents said that electricity supply has become erratic, with power coming and going without any fixed schedule, disrupting daily life—especially during the harsh winter conditions.
“The power cuts here are very frequent. Electricity comes for a short while and then goes off again,” said Mohammad Aslam, a local resident. “It has become extremely difficult for families to manage basic household activities.”
Housewives, who depend heavily on electricity for daily chores, expressed particular distress. Shazia, a resident living near Umar Masjid in Green Valley, said the situation worsened after December 25. “Power supply was stable till December 25, but since then outages have become routine. It’s almost impossible to finish household work when electricity is available only for brief intervals,” she said.
Residents pointed out that a similar situation had occurred during the same period last year, raising concerns over what they described as a recurring seasonal failure. “This problem is not new. It happened last year as well during this time. We urge the higher authorities, especially the Chief Minister who holds charge of the Power Department, to intervene and ensure better power supply,” locals said.
The issue becomes particularly acute during morning and evening hours, when electricity demand is at its peak. “During the cold weather, electricity is most needed in the mornings and evenings, but that is exactly when the supply becomes unstable,” said another resident, adding that the situation has made life miserable during the winter chill.
Meanwhile, officials from the Power Development Department (PDD) acknowledged the electricity crisis in the area. They attributed the frequent outages to technical faults and system overload caused by the unauthorized use of crude heating devices.
“Residents using unauthorized heating gadgets overload the system, which leads to frequent breakdowns,” said a Power Department official. “We are conducting checks and taking necessary steps to address the issue.”
However, residents have urged the department to act firmly against power theft instead of penalizing genuine consumers. “It is the responsibility of the department to stop power theft. Genuine consumers should not suffer power cuts because of those involved in illegal connections,” a resident said. “The enforcement teams should be activated for inspections, and strict action must be taken against power theft to ensure uninterrupted supply to law-abiding consumers.”
The people of Sunjwan have appealed for immediate corrective measures, warning that continued neglect could further aggravate public hardship during the peak winter season.(KINS)
