In a region where climate disasters have turned survival into a daily struggle, the inauguration of a 500kW community-run micro-hydro powerhouse in Ghizer’s Umalsat valley signals a rare and radiant breakthrough.
Launched on Saturday, the facility now supplies electricity to more than 700 households and businesses—ushering in light, warmth, and economic revival across some of Gilgit-Baltistan’s most remote and flood-battered communities.
Importantly, the company offers subsidised tariffs aligned with government rates, capping household bills at PKR 2,000—even for families using electricity for lighting, cooking, and heating.
Inauguration ceremony of the hydropower plant. Photo: Shabbir Mir
The timing is critical. Ghizer district, like much of Gilgit-Baltistan, has been grappling with the aftermath of devastating floods that swept away roads, homes, irrigation channels, and bridges. Forests were razed, livelihoods shattered, and access to basic services severed.
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In this landscape of loss, the new powerhouse stands as both infrastructure and inspiration—offering not just energy, but autonomy and resilience.
“This electricity gives us a new beginning,” said Fatima, a resident of Darkut. “My children can study at night without kerosene smoke choking the room. We use heaters for cooking and warmth. After the floods, this light means everything.”
The project is more than a technical feat—it’s a community-led triumph. Locals have established Silgan Electric Limited, a grassroots utility company that owns and operates the plant. Rahimullah, the company’s General Secretary, described the initiative as a reclamation of dignity. “We’re powering schools, health centres, and small businesses. This is our foundation for rebuilding—not just infrastructure, but confidence.”
Photo: Shabbir Mir
The powerhouse connects to the existing government transmission line, enabling future expansion to 1,300 consumers in two additional villages. With its subsidised billing model, the company ensures affordability without compromising service—an approach that could serve as a template for other remote regions facing similar energy challenges.
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The project was made possible through the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), under the Central Asia Poverty Programme (CAPP). At the inauguration, Chairman Hussein Tejani praised the community’s resolve. “In these challenging times, this community has shown how local, decentralised solutions can secure essential needs and drive recovery,” he said, highlighting the model’s sustainability and replicability.
The NGOs’ legacy in Gilgit-Baltistan spans decades, with 169 micro-hydro projects generating a combined 13,844kW of clean energy. These initiatives have not only electrified villages but also catalysed local governance, gender inclusion, and environmental stewardship.
Building on this foundation, it (Akrsp) has launched the Madad Electric Cookstove (MEC) Project in partnership with Third Pole Solutions. The initiative aims to distribute 50,000 clean cookstoves in electricity-surplus villages—reducing deforestation, improving indoor air quality, and creating new opportunities for women in energy entrepreneurship.
“In the face of climate-induced disasters, projects like this are vital,” said General Manager Jamil Uddin. “We are not just producing electricity; we are producing resilience and a proven model for communities to lead their own way out of crisis.”
As Gilgit-Baltistan confronts the twin challenges of climate vulnerability and energy poverty, the Umalsat powerhouse offers a blueprint for recovery—one powered not by distant institutions, but by the people themselves.
