Smart Meters J&K: Why are people protesting against the move?

Despite many calling the move as “forcible, authorities maintain step aimed to stop “misuse” of electricity

At a time when the Jammu and Kashmir government is emphasizing and ensuring the installation of smart meters in the region to stop the “misuse” of electricity, consumers from several parts of the valley are terming the move as a “forcible” one, calling for an immediate stop on it’s installation, citing their financial conditions as “poor”.

Resentment over smart meter installation

Notably, soon after the installation of smart meters started last year, the valley parts have been witnessing resentment from the people over it’s installation with protestors on many occasions blocking the roads to express their anger over the government’s move, saying that the existing flat billing system is even becoming difficult for them to pay.

“We cannot afford the electricity billing through these smart meters, even to bear the flat rate billing system is challenging for us in the given times when earnings are bleak as we belong to a labour class”, said a protesting group of women in Srinagar outskirts.

Those resisting the move say that they don’t have people at home who are either government or private employees or even own any business by which they can afford billing easily. They say that for their survival and livelihood, their men earn daily to feed their families.

Protests against smart meter installation are occurring not just in Srinagar but also in various districts across the valley. Consumers of electricity in these areas are consistently urging the government to reverse the choice of implementing smart meters.

Expressing their concerns, protestors have also been stating that the winter conditions in the valley are harsh, saying that there is more utilization of electricity during the colder phase in the region to keep them warm. They say that with the smart meters in place, it would be “impossible” for them to afford the electricity billing.  

However, earlier this month Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that the J&K government will take care of the electricity bills of the economically backward people of the state.

Lines Snapping A Counter Strategy

In response to the resentment over the opposing installation of smart meters by people from different parts of the valley, authorities at Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) distribution division snapped electricity from the areas resisting the smart meter installation move, with protesting people specially women and older people calling the move as “anti-people”.

Ground Report contacted the senior officials of KPDCL to obtain their perspective on the rationale and objectives behind installing smart meters in the Kashmir division. Chief Engineer Distribution Javid Yousuf Dar responded that the initiative seeks to control the "non-judicious" consumption of electricity and integrate technology into the upgraded systems.

“There is no extra billing with smart meters, it is a simple equation one has to pay for the electricity the individual is using. If anyone has a doubt or gets extra bills, they should come to us. With smart meters one can monitor their daily usage and can equally control their monthly electricity bills”, Dar said.

When asked about the halt in electricity provision in regions opposing the government's installation of smart meters, CE KPDCL distribution Kashmir clarified that they took this step to avert possible "law and order" problems. However, the residents perceived the government's action as a strategy to exert pressure. They believed that the intention behind this move was to compel them to yield to pressure and grant permission for the installation of smart meters by the authorities.

Dar added that they often hold awareness programmes at block and division levels and in collaboration with the various district administrations to make people aware of the “misinformation” about the smart meters, saying that their department won’t allow the “non-judicious” use of electricity by using crude boilers or heaters.

RE potential in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir relies heavily on hydroelectric power plants situated on its rivers. The region possesses the capacity to generate approximately 20,000 megawatts of hydel power. However, the actual production stands at a mere 2,439 megawatts. The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation operates a significant portion of these plants, and they export the majority of the generated power from Jammu and Kashmir to other areas.

A senior official at KPDCL told Ground Report that J&K mainly relies on hydroelectricity, but for solar energy generation they would require—land to establish the power generation plants, which according to him has very less chances, as he says the land in in J&K is fertile for agriculture produce.

According to a study, J&K has a broad endowment of potential for RE resources. It is one of the former states that have the furthest to go in improving its energy efficiency. The sustainable solutions are offered by investing in the appropriate renewable energies to make J&K energy independent.

According to the study, all the major RE sectors like solar, biomass, and small hydropower have considerable potential in resolving the energy requirements. However, in terms of infrastructure, it suffers from a lack of strong indigenous supply chains. Specifically, the solar sector needs strong local R&D and manufacturing to bring down costs over the long term. 

Solar mission, local manufacturing

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) intends to introduce incentives for facilitating local manufacturing and R&D. The loss in electricity distribution is important and needs to be addressed with substantial investment. Small hydropower and biomass also face significant supply chain and industry development challenges. Because of limited and inconsistent market demand, small hydropower producers face significant capacity constraints and lack standardization, which can cut costs significantly.

"The achievement and success of RE development will largely rely on how well the government formulates and implements policies concerning competing resource needs and developmental obstacles," asserts the study.

The study states that there is a need for sustainable and active energy policies, which must be constituted by long- and short-term financial instruments.

Rooftop Solar Power Plants at a Glance

A senior official at KPDCL known for the developments of solar energy generation in the valley told Ground Report that the use of rooftop solar power plants can be a game changer and an immediate alternative in the valley.

The official said that those who want to minimize their electricity bill can opt for solar mode of energy on their rooftops, saying that the solar power plant starts from 1 kW to 10 kW and that it saves approximately Rs 500 per KW per month in electricity bills.

Last year J&K administration in a bid to lower the carbon footprint of Government buildings approved the installation of grid-tied rooftop solar power plants on Government buildings within Jammu City’s municipal limits by the Jammu Smart City Ltd. (JSCL).

However, owing to the climatic conditions, the drive is yet to take pace in the valley despite a subsidy offered by the government under a scheme by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), government of India.

Officials familiar with the development have indicated that the project is still under progress and has not been finalized yet. This is particularly significant due to the fact that Jammu & Kashmir is slated to house India's pioneering solar "agro-photovoltaic" power project. The project entails the establishment of a solar venture spanning 250 acres in Pulwama district, specifically in the Pampore region. This land will be utilized concurrently for saffron cultivation.

Electricity Freebies, Why not in Kashmir 

Ground Report asked CE KPDCL distribution Kashmir about the providing of selected free electricity units to consumers, likewise in different parts of India, Dar said that it was the government that has to plan out a policy for that, saying that their department’s job is only to regulate the availability of electricity and subsequent revenue collection for the energy provided to consumers.

CE KPDCL distribution Kashmir said that despite resentment from some areas in the valley their department on average installs around 1000 smart meters in a day and that since the start of the programme the last year, they have installed around 1.75 Lac meters across the valley of which they have installed around 1.5 lac smart meters in Srinagar.

The official said that the programme will take place in different phases and that they are currently in the first phase and is expecting an installation of around 2.5 lac meters by Oct this year.

The officials added that they have also recorded an upsurge in the revenue collection by more than 30 percent till July in comparison to last year’s collection, saying that they consumed around 10600 Million units last year and that many of their feeders recorded a “NO” curtailment during the last winters.

Solar, Wind, Hydro & Biomass Potential in J&K

According to Energy Statistics India report 2023, Jammu and Kashmir has the second highest potential to generate renewable energy in India, having a share of 7.6 percent of the total potential of renewable power in India.

According to the report, Jammu and Kashmir can generate a total of 112803 megawatts of energy from renewable sources including solar, wind, hydro, and biomass. The report states that of 112803 megawatts, Jammu and Kashmir can generate 111050 megawatts of solar energy.

The report further states that apart from solar energy potential, Jammu and Kashmir has the potential to generate 1707, 43, and 3 megawatts of energy from small hydropower projects, biomass, and windmills.

Questionable Billing Concerns

Many electricity consumers who now have billing through smart meters in the valley have raised concerns and questioned the new billing format, saying that they have received highly “inflated” bills despite minimizing the use of electricity.

RTI activist Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat told Ground Report that even though he was one of the initial adopters of the smart meter, he pointed out "technical flaws" in the system. He mentioned that numerous consumers received significantly "inflated" bills despite not utilizing any electricity units.

“We have to work on this system because there are technical flaws. How is it possible for a household who was on a flat billing system and paying around Rs1000-1500 will get the electricity bill around or beyond Rs 50,000? This will be a shocker and this has to be fixed”, he stated.

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