PEDO powerhouse left unutilized as water channel damaged by avalanche

The powerhouse was built at a cost of Rs6 million through the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) in collaboration with the local community who voluntarily worked in the construction of the facility. Work on the project started on August 17, 2015, and was completed after about a year through the active participation of the local volunteers. The powerhouse was to provide electricity to 200 households of the area. However, before it started operation, an avalanche damaged the water channel of the powerhouse in the winter of 2016. Because of the damage to the channel, water supply to the agricultural fields of nine families has also been stopped. Despite repeated demands, the concerned authorities are yet to repair the water channel which presents the look of an abandoned ruin. The residents of the area told ChitralToday that the selection of the site for the powerhouse was wrong in the first place. They said despite objections by the local residents, the avalanche-prone place was selected for the project. They also alleged that the contract system of the project was not transparent and substandard material was used in the construction of the powerhouse and its channel. The residents demanded that the damaged channel should be reconstructed so that the powerhouse could be made operational to provide electricity to the area people.]]>