Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan residents suffer electricity crisis despite hydropower projects

The general public of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) is enduring a severe electricity crisis for a long time despite having hydropower projects.

The residents of the area suffer due to the nonavailability of electricity, which severely hampers the livelihoods of the local trader community.

In a recent statement given durig a PoGB assembly session, member of the assembly, Engineer Anwar, highlighted that the local administration has failed to provide adequate compensation and share of the profits to local residents of the revenue generated from the Diamer Dam Project of PoGB, as reported by the Pamir Times.

The Diamer Dam, situated on the River Indus between Kohistan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Diamer district in POGB, has faced significant criticism for its environmental and social impacts.

Critics argue that these issues, particularly the displacement of local communities and ecological damage, amount to a form of “cruelty” against the affected populations.

Member of Gilgit Assembly, Engineer Anwar, has expressed concerns over the treatment of people in Pogb, stating that they have been subjected to atrocities since the beginning.

He further emphasized the need for collective action to address these injustices.

Engineer Anwar said, “From the beginning, they have been imposing atrocities on our people. Unless we come together and raise our voices against these injustices, we will not gain anything now or in the future. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan will not benefit from this project. They create committees, make mutual agreements, and then fail to act on them. The mutual agreement made in 2010 still has not seen any action by 2015, and now another committee has been formed.”

“In the worst-case scenario, people from Diamer might gain something, but the people of Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan will receive nothing. They are treating us unfairly. The rates for Diamer and Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan are different, yet no compensation has been provided to those who have given their land for the Diamer Dam,” he added.

Angered by the non-performance of the PoGB government, Anwar said, “I urge the administration to address these issues as soon as possible and provide compensation to the people.”

According to the Dawn newspaper, the construction of the dam has resulted in the displacement of several indigenous communities, loss of biodiversity, and adverse effects on the natural landscape. The region’s delicate ecosystems, which include unique flora and fauna, are at risk due to the dam’s extensive infrastructure and the associated deforestation.