90,000 Smart-meters Installed in Srinagar to Improve Power Scenario During Ramadan: MD KPDCL

Says Consumers to enjoy 24-hour power supply and accurate billing process; Time slots Sehri, Iftar or Tarawih will not be affected in any manner

Rehan Qayoom Mir

Srinagar, Mar 14 (GNS): Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) Tuesday announced to have installed around ninety-thousand smart-meters in Srinagar district while remarking the department is gearing up to significantly improve the power scenario with the beginning of holy month of Ramadan.

Talking to media, MD KPDCL Yasin Choudhary, as per GNS said that the department is proudly announcing that KPDCL has installed 90 thousand smart meters in the Srinagar district alone. Saying the process has been ongoing for many months now, Choudhary said now the main thing is to ensure uninterrupted round-the-clock power supply to those consumers where the (smart) meters are installed. “We hope to keep the promise of 24-hour power supply to the consumers where the smart meters have been installed”, he said.

Choudhary said that as far as Downtown Srinagar is concerned they have roughly completed a small target of 1 thousand consumers which include the areas of Hawal, KK Mohalla, Rainawari and Khanyar.

“We also faced stiff resistance at many places, but we want the people to understand that smart meters have genuine merits. You will not only get just 24 readings, but your bill process will also be generated accurately as it is directly generated from the system, so there is no chance of any human errors. We are also providing good voltage and the efficiency has also been increased. All this is possible only because of smart meters.”

Talking about the non-metered areas, he added that before the smart meters, people used to think that if they installed smart meters, they might get access and a hectic electricity bill. “Now, the same has been effectively demonstrated. We have also noted that no major changes have been seen in bill cycling and people can now monitor all the readings directly from their phone.”

People are using and monitoring their power consumption accordingly, which is giving them insight as to save electricity and manage their bills well.

Regarding the issue of meter-tampering, Chaudhary said under the supply code and other prominent acts, there are many ways that if any consumer or member of the public who is tampering with the meter in any way, he/she will be fined and dealt with under strict law.

“Our peak-load demand in peak winters was roughly 2900 megawatts, and it has now fallen to a solid 2000 megawatts at this time. As the weather conditions are also favorable, we have 1700 megawatts maintained as far as availability is considered.”

The curtailment is reducing day by day, and by the beginning of Ramadan, we will be able to ensure a much better scenario. “In any case, the time period of Sehri and Iftar will not be affected in any manner, and we will do all the special arrangements that are required for”, he said adding specified time slots for Sehri, Iftar or Tarawih will not be affected in any manner. (GNS)