Shishi Koh Valley remains without power two weeks after transmission poles collapse

CHITRAL: Electricity supply in Lower Chitral’s Shishi Koh Valley has remained suspended for the past two weeks after several transmission poles collapsed during the season’s first snowfall, raising questions about the durability of the recently installed infrastructure.

The poles had been erected only last year by the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) for a number of villages in the valley to enable electricity supply from the Golen Gol Power House. However, local weather reports indicated that the structures could not withstand the first winter spell.

The incident has triggered strong concern among residents, who have been left without electricity since the collapse. The reliability of the newly installed system has come under scrutiny as the failure occurred before the supply arrangement had been fully stabilised.

Concerns over quality of work

A Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader from Drosh described the incident as ‘clear evidence’ of poor engineering and the use of substandard material. He said public anger was increasing as the valley continued to face a prolonged outage, while residents alleged that the authorities concerned had not taken meaningful measures to restore the supply, underscoring concerns over the execution of the project.

Residents have called for the immediate restoration of the damaged transmission line and demanded a transparent inquiry into the quality of the installation work. They also warned that if the unstable poles were not properly secured, they could continue to endanger people in the area.

Impact on local livelihoods

Beyond the power outage, the collapse is also feared to affect agricultural activity in the valley, which residents rely on as a major source of sustenance. The prolonged disruption has therefore added to local anxiety, with the absence of electricity seen as affecting both daily life and livelihoods.

The outage has persisted despite the passage of two weeks since the poles fell. Residents say the situation has deepened frustration across the valley, where expectations had been tied to the new line meant to bring electricity from the Golen Gol Power House.

Repeated attempts were made to contact Pesco’s sub-divisional officer in Chitral by telephone for his version on the matter, but there was no response.