GB loadshedding

Published January 31, 2025

IT is quite strange that a region like Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), capable of generating 43,000MW of power, is in complete dark-ness owing to loadshedding lasting 22 hours a day. Successive governments’ disregard for the energy sector has brought the area to the brink of almost zero access to electricity supply.

The increase in population in urban areas has further shaken the energy sector to the core, as the two main cities, Skardu and Gilgit, have no further cap-acity to cater to them. The energy demand in GB stands at 200-250MW, while the installed capacity in the region is only 130MW. The available power in the region stands at 100MW in summer and 60MW in winter becasue of the rather harsh weather conditions.

This leads to the provision of electricity only at night in summer, while in winter, the area remains in blanket darkness. Due to its disconnectedness from the national grid, the area has no alternative way and makes do with indigenous power generation. But, owing to limited finance, the region is hardly in a position to construct new powerhouses.

Therefore, the federal government must take immediate action to address the electricity issue in the region. After all, a region that holds great importance due to its breathtaking tourist spots and other reasons cannot be overlooked.

Sajjad Hussain
Skardu

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2025

Opinion

Disputed canal project

Disputed canal project

It seems that PP, which claims to champion the struggle for people’s democratic rights, is now only interested in protecting its own power.

Editorial

Forgotten inmates
Updated 26 Feb, 2025

Forgotten inmates

Diversion programmes are needed for minor offences and people with psychosocial disabilities should receive treatment rather than be jailed.
Controlling crypto
26 Feb, 2025

Controlling crypto

THOUGH Pakistan’s official position on cryptocurrencies has evolved considerably over the years, there still seems...
Deadly roads
26 Feb, 2025

Deadly roads

DRIVING in Karachi can be hazardous, with chaos on the roads, and very little by way of following rules and...
All out
Updated 25 Feb, 2025

All out

PAKISTAN cricket captain Mohammad Rizwan’s assessment was brutal — it could not have been any other way. At ...
Bearing the brunt
25 Feb, 2025

Bearing the brunt

FOR the past several months, we have repeatedly been told by the prime minister and his cabinet that the government...
Afghan resettlement
25 Feb, 2025

Afghan resettlement

AFGHAN refugees who fled their country after the Taliban took over in 2021, and who hoped to resettle in the West,...