Mohsin Peerzada's

  Our Rivers, Our Electricity, Our Bills.   “The latest tariff hike brings back the larger debate over affordability, power sector reform and J&K’s share of its hydropower wealth.” Peerzada Mohsin Shafi T here is something deeply uncomfortable about another electricity tariff hike in Jammu and Kashmir. This is a place where rivers tumble down from the mountains, ambitious hydropower projects are being built and electricity has long been presented as one of J&K's greatest natural advantages. Yet the story reaching the ordinary consumer remains familiar that the power sector runs a deficit, the government provides support and the consumer is asked to pay more. From 1 st September 2026, electricity tariffs in J&K are set to rise by an average 6.83 percent. For 2026-27, the revenue requirement of JPDCL and KPDCL has been assessed at roughly ₹10,276 crore against revenue of about ₹7,353 crore at existing tariffs, leaving a gap of approximate...

  Sand, Stone and the Sustainability Dilemma “J&K’s construction material crisis exposes the consequences of past resource mismanagement, the pressures of present-day development and the urgent need for a sustainable path ahead.” Peerzada Mohsin Shafi Jammu and Kashmir is beginning to face a construction-material crisis at a time when demand for roads, bridges, housing, hospitals, schools, drainage systems and other infrastructure is rising. Restrictions on quarrying operations and curbs on the extraction, lifting and transportation of mining material have created difficulties for ongoing development works. The Government has valid reasons for tightening control over the extraction of sand, gravel, stone and other minor minerals. The region’s rivers, mountains and fragile ecosystems cannot be treated as unlimited sources of construction material. Yet the emerging shortage exposes a deeper problem: development needs and natural-resource management have not evolved together...