By Hakeema Khushal
HUNZA: Unregulated tourism, commercial activities, and unplanned constructions have put tremendous pressure on natural resources of Hunza, leading to a significant increase in environmental and social issues as well as an alarming rise in the electricity crisis.
Successive governments that came to power and the representatives elected from Hunza have made tall claims and hollow promises to resolve the electricity crisis but failed to take concrete actions. Instead, they have shirked their responsibilities and neglected the basic rights of the people, such as health, education, and energy, leaving them at the mercy of private profiteers and institutions. They have even handed over public resources and lands to them.
According to sources, five years ago, the interim government of Gilgit-Baltistan entered into a secret agreement with a private multinational company to hand over four public sector power plants and other potential electricity sites in Hunza to the company. This has caused a wave of concern in political circles.
To raise awareness among the public about these issues and inform government, the Awami Workers Party Gilgit-Baltistan Hunza chapter leaders held a press conference at a local Press Club in Aliabad on Tuesday, demanding immediate action to protect the area’s natural resources and public rights.
The central president of the Awami Workers Party, Baba Jan, senior leader Akhun Bai, coordinator Ikram Jamal, and spokesperson Zahoor Elahi addressed the press conference.
Addressing the press conference, Akhun Bai said, “The leadership of the Awami Workers Party Gilgit-Baltistan Hunza expresses serious concern over the decision to hand over four power plants and future electricity projects and all water resources to a private company. We believe this move poses a risk of depriving the people of Hunza of their natural water resources, employment, and lands, which could enslave them to profit-driven corporate capitalism.”
He claimed that, under a controversial and secret agreement, on August 14, four public sector power plants (Mayon, Hassanabad, Khyber, and Misgar) in Hunza are being handed over to Industrial Promotion Services (IPS) in the name of a public-private partnership.
While detailing this agreement, he said that in 2019, the then-caretaker Chief Minister Mir Afzal and a few bureaucrats agreed with IPS to hand over projects and machinery built on the Hunza River and its banks over 20 kilometres, communal lands, and water resources to this company without any compensation and grant complete control over the Hunza River. This matter is highly concerning, he said.
Mr Bai said that the Gilgit-Baltistan government’s decision is tantamount to abandoning its responsibilities in the region, rendering 300 employees jobless, and putting the livelihoods of thousands of associated families at risk is a criminal act that should be immediately revoked.
“We believe this agreement has no legal standing because Hunza is a disputed and non-settled district. Neither the local population were consulted nor was their consent obtained. Moreover, the elected representatives and political leadership of the area were also excluded from this process,” he added.
He warned that such non-transparent dealings in the name of development and the provision of basic services would leave the future of Hunza at the mercy of MNCs’ monopoly.
Causes of the energy crisis
He attributed the causes of the current energy crisis to the negligence, favouritism, and incompetence of corrupt officers of the power department. Moreover, the influx of hundreds of thousands of tourists to the valley, who lack environmental sensitivity, has put immense pressure on the resources, and road infrastructure. Currently, the public is only provided with two hours of electricity.
Without regulating these issues, Hunza’s electricity needs can never be met, he said.
Measures to solve the power crisis
Mr Bai, while presenting alternative solutions on behalf of his party, said there are viable alternatives available to overcome the crisis in Hunza and improve the electricity supply. He proposed cutting off water and electricity supply to large hotels in central Hunza, balancing energy use, and promoting local businesses.
He demanded the government of Gilgit-Baltistan to implement rules and regulations for energy use and a load management plan. Under this plan, household consumers should be provided with at least 8 hours of electricity daily. All hotels or guesthouses with more than 10 rooms, should install solar panels within three months to generate their electricity.
He urged the government of Gilgit-Baltistan to immediately ban air conditioning systems and unnecessary outdoor lighting in hotels to ensure the survival of important local birds and insects for Hunza’s environment. He called for the formation of a committee comprising political parties, public representatives, administration, and experts to develop emergency, medium, and long-term plans for electricity generation and demand management in Hunza.
The leaders of the Awami Workers Party demanded the government make arrangements to import electricity from neighbouring China and appeal to them to assist in building small hydroelectric power plants on rivers in every village on an emergency basis.
He appealed to the people of Hassanabad, Khyber, Misgar, and Mayon to rise and save their water resources, lands, electricity projects, and jobs and thwart the plans to seize them. Otherwise, global monopoly capitalists will take control of all resources, including the water resources of the entire region, and our future generations will be forced to live in modern colonial slavery, deprived of their lands and resources.
Comrade Baba Jan, in his media talk, said that handing over Hunza’s natural resources and public assets to an international monopoly company is unacceptable to us under any circumstances. This agreement is not only illegal but also a serious violation of the rights of the local population.
The government’s move to deprive us of our water resources and lands is a conspiracy to enslave us. We demand the immediate cancellation of this agreement; otherwise, the AWPG-B will launch a protest movement along with other progressive forces.
Power department stance
An official of the Department of Water and Power Gilgit-Baltistan, when contacted to know the stance on this matter, said, “This agreement was made to meet the energy needs of Hunza under the public-private partnership.”
He said, “Our aim is to improve the electricity supply in the area, and this agreement will bring long-term benefits to the public.” However, he clarified, “Keeping in view the concerns of the public, we are reviewing various aspects of this agreement to safeguard the interests of the public.”
Reaction on social media
Social media users have termed this agreement necessary for the development of the region and the provision of energy. They said that the protest campaign against this agreement is only for political gain. One user alleged that the Awami Workers Party has always opposed development projects.
Environmental and social activist Safiullah Baig, instead of discussing and challenging the Awami Workers Party Gilgit-Baltistan’s press conference on nerve-wracking power load-shedding in Hunza and the secret privatization of the electricity department, attacked the Trolls Party with arguments, information, and evidence.
He said that people do not discuss the various aspects of a complex basic human need like electricity, such as production, transmission, distribution, demand, usage, tariff, and repair. For example, a small group in Hunza is associated with business, which consumes the most electricity. In the absence of electricity, this group runs its business by generating electricity at Rs84 per unit using diesel generators. Meanwhile, 90% of the public needs electricity for a maximum of 8 hours a day. Currently, the public has difficulty getting electricity for even two hours.
Political activists of Gilgit-Baltistan need to discuss the privatization of the electricity department in Hunza, not from a religious, regional, or immediate class interests perspective, but keeping in view its impact on the general public, the economic and social results of the monopoly, and the interests of future generations. Ethically, none of us have the right to trade the rights of future generations today.