CHITRAL: Community elders in Garam Chashma told the visiting German embassador that the 500-kilowatts hydro power project completed by the local community had a positive impact on all walks of life ranging from agriculture to health and education and women empowerment.
German Ambassador Alfred Grannas visited the Mogh village where the power project has been built with the financial support of AKRSP.
The ambassador and his entourage were told that it was the board of directors drawn from the community which decided the details of management to run the power house as per wishes of the local people including the fixing of tariff which was presently only Rs4 per unit.
The community leaders Asad, Anwar and Qimat Khan told the guests that the availability of cheap and uninterrupted power to the area is leading towards prosperity by creating self-employment opportunities and removing hindrances to development.
“The cottage industry of Chitrali patti (coarse cloth of sheep wool) has received from the cheap power in Mogh village where farmers expected that power looms were replacing the manual weaving set-up which in turn had augmented the production at cheaper rate thereby bringing greater dividend.
The yield of wool will also be increased as more area will be irrigated than the past by the lift irrigation system producing more vegetation to feed the sheep,” said Asad.
The cheap power had also relieved the patients of tension and heavy expenses in Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Garam Chashma making the diagnostic facilities available round-the-clock at cheaper rate.–The News