Shangla’s woes: They generate power, but they do not get it

Locals protest as they won't receive electricity produced by the multi-million rupees project.

SHANGLA:

The recently completed Khan Khwar Hydropower Project might add 72 megawatts (mw) to the national grid once it starts operating, but will give nothing to the people living nearby.

The Rs8.3 billion project, constructed on Khan Khwar stream near Besham in Shangla district, will generate about 306 million units of electricity per annum.

Thousands of locals have staged numerous protests asking the government to siphon a portion of the generated electricity for local needs. They blocked the Karakoram Highway and staged rallies on several locations.

They want 4mw of electricity for Shangla.

“We will not let the government inaugurate the project if they do not give us the power we need,” said Dr Ebad, a resident of Shangla. “We will never let Islamabad seize our resources.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2011.