Chitral's Electricity crisis -letter

During the current electricity crisis in Chitral, both Govt officials and political leaders said that the whole country is undergoing electricity crisis. I beg to differ with them. Gilgit Baltistan does not have any shortage of electricity. Not only is electricity surplus there but also available to the consumers at Rs one per unit only and the people are using it to cook their food heat their rooms and use all electrical appliances at affordable price. If chitral has to be compared with any other part of Pakistan it should be Gilgit Baltistan which has same geography and water resource.

We need leaders with vision and understanding to solve our problems. Some times back, Wg Cdr (r)  Fardad Ali Shah had in a radio talk, spelt out the real problem and it's solution. We need to first revamp the management of existing power houses and the distribution system, eliminate corruption within them and  scrape the practice of giving free electricity to any employee regardless of his position.  The district administration must invest in importing energy saving bulbs to Chitral and give them out at reduced prices. After that ban the use of energy guzzling condescend bulbs.

We must detach Chitral's power production and distribution  from WAPDA as this organisation is having a monopoly and so has become a rogue organisation , out of any body's control.. It is charging 12 rupees per unit electricity while the production cost of hydel power is only 60 paisa per unit.

I think it is time we seriously think about solving the electricity problem and turn Chitral into an electricity bank like the Northern areas which also faced situation similar to us till a few years back  but is now brimming with electric power.

 

Azhar Ali Shah,

Hone, Chitral

08 March, 2010

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