Non-provision of power supply creates uncertainty in Upper Chitral

CHITRAL: Uncertainty prevailed among the residents of Koh Union Council and in upper Chitral due to delay in provision of electricity from the Golen Gol Hydropower Project.

The dwellers of Koh Union Council in lower Chitral and most parts of upper Chitral have been without electricity for the last three years after floods washed away the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (Pedo)-operated 4.5 megawatts Reshun Hydropower Station.

However, parts of the district were provided electricity after 36 megawatts of unit 1 of Golen Gol hydropower power project began test production a few days back. The power generation capacity of the project with three generating units is 108 megawatts as each unit has the capacity of 36 megawatts.

The people of Koh and upper Chitral have been expressing concern over the delay in implementing the agreement between the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (Pedo) about supply of electricity.

A senior lawyer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Abdul Wali Khan said they were expecting the two entities to sign the agreement as uncertainty prevailed among the residents of Koh and upper Chitral with each passing day.

Abdul Wali said the residents of Koh and upper Chitral would take to the streets if the provision of electricity was not ensured to the area.

He said the government should ensure the provision of non-technical jobs to the residents of nearby Koh area and other parts of the district. “We expect the government to provide non-technical jobs to the locals. We also want 50 percent royalty on the project to be utilised for the development of the district,” the PTI leader went on to add.

Jamaat-i-Islami leader and former MNA Abdul Akbar Khan said the people of Chitral had suffered a lot due to non-availability of electricity over the years. He said they would launch a protest movement if all parts of Chitral were not provided electricity from the Golen Gol Project.