Kalam residents enjoy uninterrupted electricity supply

MINGORA: The ordeal of the dwellers of Kalam is over as they no more have to leave their abodes for lower areas to escape the harsh weather in winter, thanks to the non-stop availability of electricity.

The residents of Kalam had no option but to shift to downtowns during harsh winter as there was no facility of light. But with the completion of the European Union-funded 1.2 megawatts Ashuran micro-hydropower station, majority of dwellers of Kalam valley preferred to stay home this year.

The residents of the valley use 24-hour cheaper electricity and also enjoy heating facility to cope with the freezing weather. Built by the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) with the support of the local community, the project not only solved the light issue in Kalam but also saved precious wood from ruthless cutting for use as fuel.

The residents of Kalam, Pishmal, Ashuran, Anakar and many other areas had been facing numerous problems due to non-availability of electricity over the years. And the only option was to shift to downtowns in winter.

“Now, owing to the non-stop and cheaper electricity, only Rs 3 per unit, majority of people did not shift as we can use electricity for different purposes. We heat our rooms and can easily heat water for use of daily chores. We have the facility of washing and dryer machines,” said Hazrat Khan.

He said that even the heavy snowfall did not disrupt electricity supply.

“It happened for the first time that a faulty transformer was repaired only in two days. Our electricity would remain suspended for months owing to small fault or broken transformers,” said Asadullah Khan.

Also, there are hundreds of tourists in Kalam enjoying snowfall and other activities. They said that they were also happy to have facility of electricity, which was absent in the previous years.

“I visited Kalam after three years and that time there was no electricity in the hotel. Only for some hours the hotel owner used to run generator but this time the hotel owner gave us heater facility and 24-hour electricity, which is amazing,” said Zahir Ahmad, a tourist from Rawalpindi.

The 1.2 megawatts hydropower station in Ashuran area was inaugurated by European Union Ambassador Jean Francois Cautain two months ago.

It was the first big project executed by a non-governmental organisation in the district, with the financial support of European Union.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led provincial government had tasked the SRSP with rebuilding the Ashuran micro powerhouse, which had been non-functional over the last six years. PTI chief Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khatak had opened work on the project.