Pulwama : 20 December , Residents of Astan Mohalla, Puchal in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district have expressed serious concern over the deplorable condition of electricity infrastructure in their locality, alleging that despite the installation of electric meters, the area continues to suffer from erratic power supply, unsafe wiring, and decades-old infrastructure.
According to locals, the entire mohalla is still dependent on old and worn-out wooden electric poles and dangling cables, posing a constant threat to life and property. Residents claim that frequent power outages, low voltage, and sudden snapping of wires have become a routine affair, severely affecting daily life, education of children, and small household businesses.
Ironically, consumers allege that while they are being regularly billed under the metered system, the ground situation remains unchanged. “Metering was projected as a step towards better and reliable powerl supply, but nothing has improved on the ground. All assurances turned out to be hollow promises,” said a local resident.
The people of the area say repeated representations to field-level officials have yielded no results. During rains and snowfall, the fragile wooden poles and exposed wires become even more dangerous, increasing the risk of electrocution and prolonged blackouts.
Residents further stated that the lack of basic power infrastructure reflects administrative neglect and have urged the authorities to conduct an immediate technical survey of the area. They demanded replacement of old wooden poles with cement or steel poles, proper insulation of cables, and upgrading of transformers where required.
The aggrieved residents have appealed to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and the Chief Engineer of the Power Development Department to personally intervene in the matter and ensure time-bound execution of infrastructure upgradation works in Astan Mohalla Puchal.
They warned that if the issue continues to be ignored, they would be left with no option but to seek higher-level intervention to safeguard their lives and basic rights.
