By Fazal Khaliq
MINGORA: Though residents of Malakand division are faced with frequent power cuts and prolonged loadshedding yet residents of Kalam enjoy non-stop and cheaper electricity throughout the year.
Residents of the valley say for the first time in the history, this winter, they not only enjoy cheaper electricity but also get heating facilities which in turn saves their precious forests.
Before the construction of Ashuran and Jungle Inn micro hydro power stations funded by European Union and installed by SRSP residents of Kalam, Pishmal, Ashuran, Anakar and many other areas were faced with multiple problems connected with electricity.
“This is the first time in history that many families did not migrate to downtowns because this year we have enough electricity, cheaper and non-stop. We not only heat our water for use but also heat our rooms which is the best facility ever we enjoyed,” said Hazrat Ali, a resident of Pishmal, adding, before that they used precious wood for fire.
He said despite heavy snowfall their electricity supply was not stopped.
View of the intake to Ashuran MHP, almost covered with snow. Photo: Fazal Khaliq
The residents say that during the snowfall often the electricity poles and transformers get damaged and the electricity supply stops for weeks but in Kalam the MHPs’ staff immediately restore it if any damage occurs.
“Last week a transformer was broken and some poles were uprooted which were restored on the very second day despite heavy snowfall and harsh weather. Before floods and militancy period when there was WAPDA electricity line during the snowfall our electricity remained suspended for moths owing to small fault or broken transformers,” said Asadullah a resident of Jalband area in Kalam.
These days hundreds of tourists are in Kalam to enjoy snowfall and snow related funs. They said that they were also happy to have facility of electricity which were absent in the previous years.
“I visited Kalam after three years and that time there was no electricity in the hotel. Only for some hours the hotel owner used to run generator but this time the hotel owner give us heater facility and 24 hour electricity which is amazing,” said Zahir Ahamd, a tourist from Rawalpindi.
