Gilgit-Baltistan [PoK], December 25 : The mountainous region of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan faces intense cold during the winter. People struggle with scarce resources and face many obstacles in their daily lives in the chilly weather. And with the worst load shedding in the region, the residents are faced with a double whammy. Gilgit-Baltistan is facing the worst electricity crisis with the main centre Gilgit having load shedding of around 18 to 19 hours.
Sattar Farooq, a local resident, said, "At a time when people of Gilgit-Baltistan are facing harsh winter, the worst load shedding is causing a lot of problems for them. If we talk about Gilgit city, we see load shedding of 18 to 19 hours a day which is causing problems not only for students but also for freelance workers, media professionals and office workers."
Power outages during school hours disrupt the regular functioning of schools in Gilgit-Baltistan. Students find it very difficult to keep up the continuity of their academic work. Uncertainty about power availability and the pressure to perform better in schools has been increasing the stress level in young students. In Gilgit city, exams are ongoing in schools, but there is no way for students to study in the absence of light. Due to a lack of electricity, internet service is also rarely available in the entire region.
Another resident of Gilgit City, Imtiaz Sultan says "Exams are going on but students cannot prepare for them in the absence of electricity. Secondly, the business of the trader community has been ruined. Moreover, the media persons are not able to do their professional work efficiently in the absence of electricity as they have no access to the internet."
The local residents in Gilgit-Baltistan have alleged that facilities like generators and heaters are available in the big government offices only. They have claimed that most of the time electricity bills are not paid for these facilities.
People in Gilgit-Baltistan have urged the government to discontinue the practice of VVIP culture and demanded that their basic needs be given priority. Despite frequent load shedding, residents in Gilgit-Baltistan have to pay inflated electricity bills. The spike in bills has put undue financial strain on the people who live in the region that generates a large amount of electricity.
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