Man of light: Octogenarian who gave Swat village power

Sher Khan set up a micro-hydel station in 1992.

SWAT:

Eighty-five-year-old  Mohammad Sher Khan is a landlord and elder in his village of Gulibagh, located at Charbagh tehsil in Swat, and is known for his involvement in both social and political activities, but it is his work in bringing micro-hydel power (MHP) stations to the area that has made him a local legend. 

Gulibagh village is no stranger to frequent crises which have resulted in prolonged blackouts, but the advent of a micro-hydel power station, introduced by Sher  Khan, have helped resolve the problem in a cost-effective manner.

MHPs can be installed with a small supply of water— including a mountain, stream, or river— which can provide electricity to isolated locations.

Sher Khan set up an MHP on his land in 1992, which has since effectively served the village’s community centres with free electricity.

Khan shared with The Express Tribune the story of how he came to establish the helpful MHP in his village.

“It was 1992 when I went to Landi Kalakot, a village in Tehsil Matta, for some work, when I saw a small MHP installed by a young man to replace his watermill. It was a new thing for me, so I asked him about the process of installation. The idea of setting up an MHP was instilled from that time,” he said.  “An engineer in Mingora also suggested that I set up an MHP, as we have access to plenty of water in our area.”

Soon after his visit, Khan invited MHP experts from Shangla district to his village and pointed them in the direction of the area’s old watermill. When the experts agreed that the project was feasible, there was no turning back for Khan.

“They stayed with me for some days and installed the generator successfully.  It was a new thing for the people of this area. We transmitted lines to the mosque and neighbouring houses free of cost,” said Khan

“The best thing about the MHP technology is that it is totally free. Only a bearing or belt is changed when there are issues.  It is a simple machine which can be operated by anyone,” he added. And with plenty of water resources, Gulibagh has great potential for additional micro-hydel power stations.

Sher Khan and his sons recently designed a new MHP which, if installed, would produce enough electricity for the whole village. “We need government or NGO support for the installation of the new MHP, so that the whole village can benefit from it,” they said.

The existing MHP proved to be a great help when the main grid station in Swat was blown up by militants which disconnected power for months in Swat.

Ajmal Khan, son of Mohmmad Sher Khan, currently operates the MHP in the village.

“During times of militancy and floods, when electricity was suspended for months, it (the MHP) truly helped thousands of people.  There was a problem with communication and lights so we arranged hundreds of electrical extensions with plug sockets,” said Ajmal.

Ajmal suggested that MHPs can be set up easily anywhere there is an old watermill. “Government support and public awareness are required. It is a onetime investment which provides free electricity for the rest of your life,” he said.

“We receive only one or two hours of electricity from the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), which is nothing. The whole village reaps unlimited benefits from this MHP,” local resident Anwar Sher told The Express Tribune.

“This was a positive initiative that I took, and I am really happy that it serves people till this time in one way or another,” said Sher Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2013.