Shangla power outages have severely disrupted commercial activities and daily domestic life across the district as winter sets in. Electricity suspensions lasting over five consecutive hours have left residents and small business owners struggling without reliable energy supplies.
Local traders who lack solar power setups, generators, or alternative backup systems are among the hardest hit. On Thursday, power supply was cut at 11:00 AM and remained un-restored past 3:00 PM. Local representatives reported that authorities from the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)—the federal body managing water and power infrastructure—offered no prior notice or expected restoration timeline, while officials remained unreachable.
Local surplus shipped to national grid
Residents and public representatives have highlighted a stark contrast between local electricity production and supply. Shangla generates more than 85 megawatts (MW) of electricity through two major hydroelectric projects built on its natural water streams. This electricity is fed directly into the national grid.
In comparison, the entire district's local power demand is estimated at just 4.5 to 6.5MW. Despite producing far more energy than it consumes, the region continues to suffer from unannounced load-shedding, low voltage, and prolonged outages during the colder months.
Breakdown of traditional watermills
The crisis has been compounded by the loss of historical local power solutions. Before the construction of large dams, rural communities in Shangla relied heavily on micro-hydro stations and traditional watermills to meet their energy needs.
However, major dam construction altered the natural flow of local rivers and disrupted water distribution systems. As a result, hundreds of small watermills and community-managed power units became non-functional, leaving residents completely dependent on the central grid.
Community calls for government action
Public groups and commercial associations have urged the Federal Minister for Energy and WAPDA officials to exempt Shangla from forced load-shedding. Community leaders argue that a district contributing 85MW to the national supply should easily have its modest local requirement of under 7MW met without interruption.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Shangla mein rozana paanch ghante se zyaada bijli band rehti hai jis se kaarobar aur gharelu zindagi mutasir ho rahi hai. Yeh ilaqa 85 megawatt bijli banata hai jabkay iski apni zaroorat sirf 4.5 se 6.5 megawatt hai. Awam aur taajiro ne hukumat se bijli ki ghair aalaan-shuda load-shedding khatam karne ka mutalba kiya hai.
