This past winter, the power situation in Kashmir valley was far better than what we are used to endure in nail-biting cold weather conditions. The Power Development Department announced a curtailment schedule under which non-metered areas faced power cuts for eight out of 24 hours while the metered areas faced 4.5 hour curtailment. But even before the schedule was announced, several areas of Kashmir were already facing power cuts which officials blamed on the maintenance of power lines. With the coming of spring which will start the process of snow melting, the power situation is likely to improve as the power generation capacity of local hydropower projects will rise with more water flowing down the mountains into the tributaries of Jhelum and Chenab. As Ramadan is barely days away, there is going to be an uptick in demand during morning when people wake up for predawn meals to begin their fat and also during evening hours when the fast is broke. The government should ensure that there are least power outages especially during this time. Curtailment has a special meaning in the electricity distribution system. It describes any action that reduces the amount of electricity supplied to maintain the balance between supply and demand. Also, the Power Development Department should be asked to ensure that the schedule of power cuts, wherever required, is publicised in advance so that the consumers can plan their activities accordingly. Frequent and unscheduled power cuts add misery to life It is an irony that although our rivers generate hundreds of megawatts of electricity, people have to face outages which make even the scheduled curtailment program irrelevant. But as citizens, we also have an important responsibility. We need to pay proper attention to the power usage in our homes. Power should be used judiciously so that the government is able to meet the demand. At the policy level, there is a need for building more power projects to make J&K self-reliant. The Union government has resumed the process for reviving the Ratle power project which will be a significant addition to our power generation capacity. Although the current government has taken many steps to provide 24-hr power supply in the entire Jammu Kashmir, there is much to do. The people of Jammu face power curtailments in summer and Kashmir faces the same situation in winter. These are the months when these two regions need the power supply most. It would be like a dream come true if the power woes of Jammu and Kashmir come to an end.