The Gilgit-Baltistan government, on Saturday, announced a load management plan under which electricity to the regional capital will remain suspended from Saturday till Monday.
The plan, the first of its kind to be made public, has helped people understand the extent of the power crisis that has brought life to a standstill in the region.
The reason behind the suspension is to give technicians time to repair fissures in the walls of the main water reservoir of the Naltar hydel power project. The fissures were first discovered after residents informed the media that families living downstream risked being swept away in case the walls burst.
Though the authorities initially ruled out this possibility, saying that the joints had contracted due to weather changes, the government later brought in experts to fill in the fissures without much success.
Regional Minister for Water and Power Wazir Shakil, while apologising for the inconvenience caused, urged the public to cooperate with the government, adding that it was spending 30 per cent of the development budget on the power sector.
The reservoir, situated approximately 45km from Gilgit, currently supplies water to 90 per cent of the city’s population, making it the largest power project in the region.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2012.
COMMENTS (5)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Well having nuclear weapons and not electriical plants is a small price to pay> Be happy Buy candles.
Electricity supply for Gilgit will be restored on Feb 21: Wazir Shakeel
PT Report
Gilgit, February 18: Provincial Minister for Water and Power, Wazir Shakeel, has thanked the residents of Gilgit city for the “cooperation” they have extended to his departments. He has also said that the Naltar Power House has been closed till February 20, for repair and maintenance. The electricity supply will be restored on February 21, the minister said.
He said that the tank had been filled with silt which led to creation of cracks. He informed that an expert team from Lahore had analyzed the water tank and the repair work is being conducted accordingly.
@Aditya: indian cares about militarization and water control in kashmir. they think kashmiris and pakistanis are the trouble makers. when one does not see trouble from one's action they sure reap the rewards. mumbai can't grow when srinagar is buried alive. indian prison in kashmir will not help sustain freedom of mumbai. cry all you want.
Don't worry about gilgit electricity. they have many projects comming up in gilgit. the problem is that india does not want any projects completed.
remember gilgit want representation in parliament of pakistan unlike kashmir where majority want freedom. you can't have militarization and join indian union. pakistan building national grid so gilgit baltistan will join. at the moment gilgit has its own power. indo-Pak trade far-fetched dream until K-solution: Hurriyat (G) so there goes india everyone knows that india wants to go forward on the expense of jammu and kashmir. jammu and kashmir knows that they can't be left behind so they decided their fate with pakistan. indian occupation militarization corruption not going to help anymore but take them back.
Aditya
Come back to senses, sir!!
Your "mahan" country also needs to do something about the 52% below-poverty-level population that lives in your existing boundaries!!
As they say in a local language of GB, "nobody sees the stains on one's own back" ..... :-)
I hope that clears things for you.
and pakis want Indian Kashmir too?
lol,first try to manage whatever you have then think of bigger scheme.