What challenges do locals face due to prolonged load shedding?

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Locals in Skardu face severe daily life disruptions due to extended power outages, exacerbated by a tourism boom.

Residents of Skardu city are experiencing power cuts lasting up to 18 hours daily, significantly impacting their personal and professional lives. This prolonged load shedding, which has seen an approximate 10 percent annual increase in duration over the past six years, is particularly acute in the region due to its reliance on local power generation and a surge in tourism. While hotels can afford alternative energy solutions, many locals cannot, forcing them to adapt their daily routines and businesses to the absence of electricity.
Daily Life and Household Adjustments

The lack of consistent electricity forces residents to make significant adjustments to their household activities. For instance, Aniqa Bano, a teacher, repurposes her refrigerator as storage for books and utensils, highlighting the basic amenities that become inaccessible. Activities requiring power, such as using an oven or a heater, are rendered impossible, fundamentally altering domestic life in the city.
Impact on Small Businesses and Livelihoods

Small businesses reliant on electricity face severe operational challenges, leading to drastic reductions in productivity and income. Siddiqa, a tailor, has had to revert to hand-sewing machines after replacing her electric equipment, a change that has reduced her capacity to produce suits from 10 to 12 every three days to a single suit over a similar period. This shift demonstrates the direct economic consequences of the energy crisis on local artisans and entrepreneurs.
Contributing Factors: Tourism and Infrastructure

The increased demand from a burgeoning tourism sector, with visitor numbers rising significantly since 2014, is a primary driver of the prolonged load shedding. The number of hotels in Skardu alone has more than quadrupled in the same period. Compounding this demand is the region's isolation from the national grid and the vulnerability of its power infrastructure, which is susceptible to damage from climate-related events such as glacial lake outbursts, as seen in 2022 when numerous power plants were destroyed.
Systemic Issues and Planning Deficiencies

Beyond the immediate pressures of tourism and infrastructure damage, systemic issues contribute to the energy deficit. The region's power generation, primarily from hydro and thermal plants, is affected by the unpredictable water availability from melting glaciers, a long-term consequence of climate change. Furthermore, inadequate planning and mismanagement, exemplified by the halted river diversion for the Satpara dam which has prevented it from reaching its full power generation potential, hinder the region's ability to meet its energy needs.

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What challenges do locals face due to prolonged load shedding?

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