SHANGLA: Residents of Damorai and six other villages here on Thursday said that the newly-installed electricity generated by micro hydropower (MHP) station introduced them to using modern gadgets as they could now use smart phones, computers, etc.

They said this after a 560KW micro hydropower station started generating electricity. It was set up by Sarhad Rural Support Programme with the funding of European Union under PEACE project. As many as 1,100 houses in seven villages are being benefited with the electricity from the new MHP station.

“With the supply of electricity I started using smart phone for the first time. I can talk to my relatives living in other cities anytime I want,” said Ziaur Rehman, a resident of Damorai.

Another resident said that they used pinewood torches in the darkness to illuminate their houses which was not an easy job as the light remained for shorter time and cutting the pinewood was also banned.

The station also provides electricity to the village bazaars which enabled the shopkeepers to keep their shops open till late in the evening. It supplies electricity to Bilkanai, Maidan, Kikor, Masil, Damorai, Karshat and Tanshat villages in Shahpur valley at Rs5 per unit to domestic consumers and Rs7 for commercial use.

KILLED: One man was killed and two others sustained injuries as a result of firing during a jirga at Saidanu Chelai here late on Wednesday night.

Karora police said that the jirga was underway when a man from one group opened firing on his rival group members and as a result Rahim Shah was killed on the spot while Jehan Alam and Mohammad Javed suffered bullet wounds. The injured were later referred from Karora hospital to Saidu Sharif hospital in Swat.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2018