Anger Protesters blocked Main Peshawar Chitral road as protest.
CHITRAL: Hundreds of anger protesters blocked main Peshawar Chitral road to register their protest against Sarhad Hydro Development Organization (SHYDO) a provincial power generating organization. A large number of people under auspices of Mutahida Awami Committee (united public committee) chairing by Irshad Mukaraf came on roads and blocked Peshawar road for hours during their public meeting and agitation. They said that due to negligence of engineering and technical staff water reserves of Sheshi Hydro Power Project (SHPP a power house of 1.87 Megawatt) was full of sand because the concern staff never opened its sand trap gate way or spell way to exhaust and remove the sand from water tank and through clean water to penstock for turbine of generator. As a result mounds of sand full inside the water tanker and it directly enters in pipeline of penstock for power house. When a staff opened assembly inside the penstock many tones sand came out with such a high pressure that it fill up power house and also covered 3 transformers installed outside of the power house as a result one unit was damaged and supply of electricity also suspended. They said that operation staff of Peshawar Electricity Supply Company were also absent and there was no one at Grid station Drosh to fix the links for power supply. The anger protesters also criticized Drosh police for their misbehaviors towards the elites and committee members. They demanded for probe into the incidence and negligence of SHYDO staff caused for harming one unit at Power house. They also demanded for posting out of SHO police station Drosh and one ASI Bahadar Khan. They also lamented elected representatives including MNA and MPA that they badly failed to solve electricity problem in the area. They given deadline of 2 days for restoration of power supply otherwise they warned of dire consequences. Those who spoke on the occasion were Khush Nawaz, Maulana Musharaf Khan, Professor Syed Tofiq Jan, M. Shifa and Irshad Mukarar. They also alleged of corruption of 480 million fund in this project and demanded for conducting an inquiry in this regard so as to be given punishment to commission mafia and corrupt staff.
On the other hand when this correspondent visited Sheshi power house Operational Engineer Javed Lateef alleged that local SHO and community pressurized him to run the power house even during the flood. He said that wood and sand was flowing in flood water which is harmful for power house. When this scribe asked a question that why not he opened sand trap gate wall or spell way to exhaust the sand from water tanker to save the power house he did not replied satisfactorily. It is worth to mention here that SHPP was started on 4th April 2005 it was a 36 months project having the stipulated period for its completion but it was extra ordinary delayed and was completed on 18th December 2009 and was operation in December 2009. its penstock having 210 meters length with high pressure of water and generating 1.87 megawatt electricity. The power house was also run by force from local community after a long period of its completion and the concerned staff were using different delay tactics.
One shot dead at Drosh.
CHITRAL: AS well as one person was shot dead on wood dispute. Drosh police arrested four accused persons. According to Station House Officer (SHO) police station Drosh some 45 KM from here one Riazul Mulk of Broze was collecting wood from flood water at Chitral river near Wardab village of Drosh. He was stopped by Shuaib etc that he has came from Broze and illegally collecting wood from river in their territory but he did not stop his activity and challenged them. The rival group opened fire on Riaz with a pistol and he was badly injured. He was rushed to Drosh hospital immediately but he succumbed his injuries and died in hospital. Drosh police lodged FIR against Shuiab, Esa Khan sons of Masoon Khan, Hussain son of Abdul Rehman and Akram son of Hazrat Khan residents of Wardab and arrested them. They also took in posses the weapon used in this murder case and started further investigations.
One died carrying drinking water from mountainous fountain.
AS well as one person died when he was carrying drinking water from a water spring situated in the middle of a mountain. According to Chitral Police one Munir Ahmad resident of Golder was carrying drinking water from a natural fountain near Nerded goal a heavy rolling stone from the peak of mountain hit his head and was died on the spot. It is worth to mention here that supply of potable drinking water and electricity has been suspended for the last two weeks and the concern authority badly failed to restore water and electricity supply. Residents of Chitral facing great problems while they carrying drinking water from far flung areas.
28 hours continue load shedding lamented.
Residents of Balach, Civil Aviation and Met colony strongly criticized line staff of Peshawar Electricity Supply company (PESCO) for exercising longest continue load shedding of 28 hours. A number of consumers complained that Pesco Chitral staff has removed links of their transformer at 6 hours at Evening on Friday and disconnected power supply for 28 hours when they joint the linked and connected it on Saturday at 10 hours night. They alleged that Pesco Chitral staff never remove links of some transformers in the areas of blue eyes nor they exercising such longest and continue load shedding in other areas and officer colony at Danin but they keep in dark these poor peoples for more than of 28 hours and people of Balach are depriving from light both in Sehri and Aftari. When this scribe contacted line staff of Pesco Chitral that they have removed links of Balach area at 6.00 PM last night and consumers of the area should to benefited from light at the same time on next day but they did not so they replied that some people of Danin has threatened them of strike and agitation against them and that is why they deprived Balach area and connected Danin without their turn.
They demanded from Chief executive of PESCO Peshawar for issue a directive to line staff of Pesco Chitral to not deprive people from electricity due to continue and longest load shedding of 28 hours but they should to visit the area after 3 to 4 hours and continue their load shedding turn by turn in different areas.
G.H. Farooqi PO Box No. 50 GPO Chitral Pakistan phone No. 03025989602, 0943-302295, 414418
Email: gulhamad@gmail.com