CHITRAL, April 8: The residents of Muzgol and Reshun have started removing avalanche from the water channel of the Reshun hydro-powerhouse.
It may be mentioned that the huge avalanche hit the water channel and penstock of the powerhouse on March 17, affecting the supply of water to the powerhouse.
Due to the shortage of water, the 4.2 megawatt Reshun powerhouse has stopped supply of electricity to the consumers, forcing about 18 hours loadshedding. Some 15,000 consumers are as a result facing shortage of electricity. The KP hydro developmental organization has no fund to remove the avalanche from the water channel of the powerhouse.
The residents waited for about two weeks but there was no help coming from any quarter. At last, the people of the area launched a campaign on a self-help basis to remove the snow from the water channel. For this purpose, two persons entered the tunnel of the powerhouse by tying themselves with ropes and six people held the ropes to protect them from falling. Another man was holding a water pipe showering it on the snow to melt it. They went inside the ice in the tunnel up to 80 feet deep and reached the water channel. The temperature inside the well was minus 10 degree centigrade.
They dug several wells in the water channel to make way for its flow.
Salahuddin and other volunteers told this scribe that they had started the work putting their lives at risk. They thanked Assistant Commissioner Mastuj Minhasuddin who kept on visiting the site frequently to encourage them.
Line superintendent of Reshun powerhouse Akhtar Nawaz Khan said, “We have earmarked only Rs40,000 for this purpose.” He said they collected some Rs3.5 million revenue monthly from the consumers because they sell electricity at the rate of Rs3 per against the Pesco rate of 5-10 rupees per unit.
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