GILGIT, Nov 7: With the onset of winter, all major cities In Northern Areas are facing acute shortage of electricity. The Northern Areas Public Works Department says that the power generation capacity drops in winter because of lower discharge in the water stream. As a result, power houses are not able to meet the power requirement.

But public representatives and people accuse the Department of mismanagement and poor planning and blame the situation on their failure to undertake a mega power project despite the fact that the region is blessed with immense hydel-power potential.

They said small power houses and projects often developed faults soon after their completion, and because of shortage of skilled manpower the machines and turbines were not being properly maintained. Besides, there is no mechanism for repairing turbines and other equipment.

The NAPWD says that consumers never cooperate with the department in the efforts to ensure smooth supply of power. Power theft is a major problem.

The department says that different pressure groups and mafia are behind in power theft and its personnel are threatened if they dare snap any illegal connection. Linemen face and threats pressure from influential people; the distribution system is crippled as every consumer demands a 'special line'.

Consumers said they were subjected to 48-hour loadshedding in winter without announcing the schedule which caused immense hardship and they were often made to believe in ghost power projects which were found only on NAPWD papers.

The officials said they generated enough power for Lighting, but the use of high-voltage appliances and power theft forced them to resume loadshedding.

However, consumers said that The NAPWD had been investing in non-feasible and short-term power projects keeping in view its own interests while billions were being wasted in the name of power projects.

They said that the NAPWD had purchased two thermal generators of one megawatt each for Gilgit and Skardu but they were not operational reportedly because of technical faults. They warned that they would launch a mass movement if the power crisis was not addressed within a week.

They said the problems multiplied in winter when they also faced A shortage of firewood and liquefied petroleum gas.