Zojila settles at -22°C, Power Crisis looms amid fall in local generation
TDD Correspondent
Srinagar, TDD, The intense winter cold continues to grip Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh with temperatures plunging below freezing across the region.
The Meteorological Department has predicted dry weather til January 12, raising concerns about further dips in local power generation, which has already fallen to a mere 40 MW.
Kashmir remains locked in an intense cold wave, with Zojila registering an extreme low of -22.0°C, the coldest in the region. Other high-altitude locations such as Sonamarg (-8.4°C) and Shopian (-6.8°C) also reported frigid conditions, while tourist hotspots Gulmarg (-6.0°C) and Pahalgam (-1.8°C) added to the Valley’s wintry charm.
Srinagar, the summer capital, recorded a minimum temperature of -3.0°C, with other areas like Qazigund (-4.4°C), Kupwara (-4.5°C), and Anantnag (-5.1°C) enduring biting cold.
The Jammu region displayed a mix of conditions, with Ramban recording the warmest minimum at 7.8°C, offering slight relief. However, the cold persisted in areas like Padder (-5.9°C), Banihal (-2.1°C), and Bhaderwah (-1.2°C). Samba (0.1°C) and Udhampur (0.8°C) hovered near freezing, while Jammu city recorded a relatively mild 5.0°C.
In Ladakh, temperatures plummeted to -10.0°C in Leh and -5.9°C in Kargil, highlighting the severe cold of the high-altitude desert.
Amid the freezing temperatures, the Valley faces an acute power crisis. Local power generation has dipped to a historic low of 40 MW due to freezing conditions, and with the forecast of dry weather until mid-January, the situation could worsen, forcing the Valley to rely entirely on power purchases from the northern grid.(TDD)