Srinagar, Dec. 1 -- The latest shutdown programme announced by the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited has once again exposed the fragility of life in the Valley during winter. Officials describe it as "essential maintenance," but for ordinary people it is nothing short of a cruel blow delivered at the harshest time of the year. Kashmir is already reeling under minus temperatures, households are struggling to keep warm, and yet the administration chooses this moment to cut supply. The contradiction between official claims of preparedness and the livid reality of cold homes, dark kitchens and silent medical machines could not be starker.

For years, maintenance was scheduled before the onset of severe cold, usually in October, w...