Two far-off Dir villages get electricity

DIR: Over 2,800 population of two villages, Pacha Killay and Asharay, of the remote Hattan Dara Afghan border valley finally got electricity for the first time in 70 years as two mirco hydro power stations were inaugurated the other day.

The Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (Pedo) made the powerhouses.

Jamaat-e-Islami parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Sahibzada Tariqullah and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Minister Inayatullah Khan, District Nazim Fasihullah jointly inaugurated the powerhouses.

Pedo engineer Waheedullah, CCDP Chairman Engineer Muhammad Khaliq, local elders and councillors were present on the occasion.

The two powerhouses have the capacity to generate115 kilowatt in Ashary and Pacha Killay.

The residents were over the moon with the electrification of their villages for the first time.

They congratulated each other and thanked the provincial government and two local NGOs CCDP, DADO for establishing the micro hydro power stations.

“We are very happy as our houses have been electrified for the first time. We were living in dark,” said a happy resident.

Another villager said that people living in other places might laugh at them after coming to know that villagers had been living without electricity.