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Diesel power generators in the open sky for rusting

By Zahiruddin

CHITRAL: The diesel power generators of WAPDA are lying under the open sky in Mastuj, Brep, Shagram and Warijun for the last thirteen years but the relevant authorities seemed to be least bothered to take care of the government properties, the residents complained. They said that to electrify the distant villages of the district, the PPP government in 1996 had decided to build diesel power stations in Mastuj, Brep, Shagram and Garam Chashma for which land was acquired and construction of building started and diesel generators were provided. The work was yet to be completed when the government was sent on packing and with it the work on all the sites stopped altogether, they said. No government afterwards, paid heed to complete the remaining work in any of the sites, they said and added that more than seventy percent had been completed in the sites but now they have been rendered to ruins. The residents of Mastuj said that two units of diesel generators are lying in the open field since 1996 as the roof of the diesel power station was not completed when the work was stopped on it. They said that the people of Mastuj tried their best to protect the generators by their own for many years and approached the concerned quarters in WAPDA either to complete the power station or remove the precious machinery to safer places. They said that the generating units remained snow bound for more than three months of years and apprehended the machinery may have been defiled beyond redemption causing millions of rupees to the government. The fate of the thermal power houses in Warijun, Shagarm and Brep are said to be the same as that of Mastuj. The residents of Chitral said that the PPP is again in power in the centre and its rulers must take into account those responsible for making the power projects a failure which the government had initiated for the people of the far-flung areas of the country. They said that the villages of Shagram, Mastuj and Brep are yet to be electrified by the government.
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TMA Chitral embarks on renovation of DHQ hospital’s gardens

By our Correspondent

CHITRAL: With the assistance of tehsil municipal administration (TMA) Chitral, the gardens of DHQ hospital Chitral are being reshaped on scientific lines for which the services of a horticulturist have been hired, says the medical superintendent of the hospital Dr. Nazir Ahmed while talking to chitraltimes.com here on Monday. He said that the situated in the centre of the city, the hospital gardens will prove a place of attraction both for the attendants of the patients but for the common people as well. He appreciated the efforts of TMA for extending cooperation to the hospital management to build the gardens on modern lines to make a best fascinating place in the city. Tehsil nazim Chitral Sartaj Ahmed Khan said that he was constantly supervising the renovation work of the hospital gardens and was passing most of his official time in the hospital. He said that the hospital gardens will also serve as ideal venue for different functions and social gatherings in the open yard which is a part and parcel of the local culture. Mr. Khan said that for the rose garden of the hospital contains more than a dozen of rose species which have been brought here from the other cities. He said that TMA has also accomplished a number of projects in the hospital for the amelioration of the patients and their attendants which included erection of waiting room for ladies, replacement of the obsolete cots in the wards of the hospital and construction of additional toilets. He said that to lessen the duration of load shedding of power in the hospital, the TMA has recently provided an additional transformer to the hospital exclusively.