GILGIT: Power supply to Gilgit city and adjoining areas was severed as landslides damaged a water channel of 18MW Naltar power station on the night between Wednesday and Thursday.

The landslides also damaged cattle farms and trees of local residents in the tourist resort of lower Naltar, besides blocking the Gilgit-Naltar road.

The rock falling damaged the 100-foot water channel of the power station, which is the main source of electricity supply to Gilgit and its suburbs.

Police said the landslides also created fear among local residents, forcing many to spend the night in the open.

The GB water and power authority officials said after suspension of electricity supply from the power station, residents of Gilgit and adjoining areas would have power supply available to them for only one and half hours daily. They said the Gilgit residents were supplied power from 14MW Kargah power station and Juglot power station, but that didn’t meet their needs.

The water and power authorities said it would take about 20 days to repair the damaged water channel for restoring electricity supply from the Naltar power station.

The rocks fell into the water channel need to be removed through blasting, which would be done after shifting residents living in lower side of the water channel to safe places, they said, adding machinery for repair of water channel would be transported after making a temporary road to the affected area.

The power suspension badly affected life in the Gilgit city, particularly business activity.

COURT SUSPENDS PROMOTIONS: The GB Supreme Appellate Court has suspended all shoulder promotions of police officials.

The 13 officials who were beneficiary of the ‘shoulder promotion’ have been reverted to their original ranks. Issuing a short order in a suo motu notice of illegal promotions in GB police department, Chief Judge Supreme Appellate Court Rana Shamim ordered reversal of the promotions.

The order said certain necessary shoulder promotions given to officials in their own pay scales on temporary basis may be maintained with authorisation of the GB police chief. The court asked GB home secretary and IGP to submit compliance report within two weeks in that regard.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2018