ALPURI: Prolonged electricity loadshedding and power outages in severe cold have paralysed daily life across Shangla district.Persistent power outages lasting up to five hours, hourly load-shedding and then prolonged shutdowns on the pretext of faults have become the order of the day, triggering widespread anger among the people.
Despite being a backward yet resource-rich district, Shangla generates 72 mega-watts of electricity from the Ranolia Hydropower Dam and 12 megawatts from the Karora Hydropower Project while the district’s own requirement is only seven megawatts. Even then, the people of Shangla are being pushed into darkness, which residents described as blatant injustice, discrimination and exploitation.
The residents said that along with loadshedding, frequent power faults have further increased their suffering.After hours-long outages, when electricity is restored, it trips again within minutes, posing a risk of damage to household appliances and causing severe mental distress to people. The district headquarters Alpuri and other central areas are vital for the people as they house government offices, courts, banks and private institutions.
However, due to non-availability of electricity, all these offices have virtually come to a standstill.Citizens coming from remote areas spend the entire day visiting offices, but their work remains halfway because computers, internet and printing systems are shut down, forcing poor people to return empty-handed in freezing weather.
At home, the absence of electricity has rendered heaters, cooking stoves, water pumps and other basic facilities useless. Elderly people, children and patients are forced to endure the biting cold, while darkness at night has created fear and insecurity. Small businesses dependent on electricity have reached the brink of collapse. Shops, workshops, tailors, photocopy centres, internet cafés and other ventures have been shut down, leading to a dangerous rise in unemployment.
Residents complained that Shangla was neither being provided electricity generated from its own water resources, nor was dam royalty being spent on public welfare, nor were local youths being given jobs in hydropower projects.
The residents expressed strong resentment against elected representatives, saying they were confined to announcements and election slogans. “Big promises are made at election time, but there is complete silence on basic public issues such as electricity, cold, employment and basic facilities,” said a resident.
Theys demanded that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Pesco and authorities concerned must immediately end loadshedding and start supply of locally generated electricity to Shangla, utilise dam royalty for public welfare and provide employment to locals in hydropower projects.
