Rising Energy Crisis in District Chitral

Through your esteemed newspaper I would like to bring the current energy crises in district into the notice of the higher authorities and decision makers. More than 97% population in the district is completely dependent on fuel wood for their domestic energy requirements, which has become so scarce commodity in the market that one cannot find even at higher prices. The prices of fuelwood has suddenly jumped three times higher as compared to previous years i.e. from Rs. 80-100 per 40 kg in the year 2005-06 to Rs.230 to 250 in 2006-07 in the main Chitral town. Fuelwood is being transported up to 100 to120 Km towards north (Mastuj, Torkhow, Mulkhow and Garum Chashma tehsils), as a result wood cost doubles and becomes uneconomical but there is question of survival and the people are compelled to transport wood from distant areas. Those who cannot afford the wood and transportation cost seek alternate sources in valuable fruit trees and timber wood, which is great lose to the families.

There are limited fuelwood energy alternatives like LPG and charcoal available in the local market but the prices are not consumer friendly. At present a 10 kg LPG cylinder costs Rs.720 and a kg charcoal costs Rs.35-40 at the main Chitral market, which are beyond the buying capacities of the common men. Situation of electricity is pathetic even a small tube light cannot lit properly in major areas of Chitral town.

The total population of Chitral District is approximately 380,000 persons and there are estimated 47,500 households in the District. Some studies on energy consumption reveal that per capita per annum consumption of fuelwood in the district is estimated to be 1,000 kilograms or one ton, which is highest in the country. Thus annual consumption comes to be 380,000 tons of fuelwood, which is equivalent to Rs.2280 millions @ Rs. 6 per Kg or 240 per maund � a big dent into the household economy of the poor communities and one of the major causes of poverty in the district. Assuming an average woody biomass of 0.5 tons per medium sized tree that is being cut, this is the equivalent of cutting of 760,000 trees annually. Against this no or very limited number of trees are planted by the communities. If there are no massive tree plantations on emergency basis, the cutting rate of trees for fuel remains the same without arranging alternate sources of energy there is likelihood of ecological catastrophe within a decade or two.

In addition to the estimated fuelwood consumption by household sector, there are numerous hotels, shops, business centers, offices, schools, and other premises in the district that also use fuelwood as a source of energy, which are not included in the estimation.

Besides other factors apparently the following reasons could be attributed to the scarcity of fuelwood and sudden jump in its prices in the local markets:
� Rapid degradation and depletion of natural forests in the district
� No tree plantation drive is currently in process by NWFP Forest Department or by NGOs working in the district.
� Export of fuel wood to Northern Areas and the cutting of natural forests for melting of coal tar, which is being used in the black topping of roads in the district, particularly the approach road to Lawari, being constructed by the NHA.
� General awareness and conservation initiatives by the communities in the forested areas
� Involvement of local labor in collection of Chilghoza cones instead of fuelwood in autumn season.

If the prevailing situation is not checked on emergency basis there is likelihood that the prices of fuelwood increase further within a couple of years, which will not be controlled by the government. To address this emerging energy crises and associated environmental challenges in the district serious planning is needed by the district government and NGOs and a concrete strategy needs to be developed involving local communities to overcome the issue.

The best alternative to fuelwood energy in the context of Chitral is more trees and more fuelwood, as the trees not only provide the energy but also contribute to the retention of rain water and soils in the fragile mountain slopes/watersheds, support and help in preserving cultural and biological diversity and ameliorating the overall environment. Thus large-scale intensive participatory forestry programme need to be designed and launched in the district on emergency basis to overcome the energy crisis in the district. Some suggestions towards this end are:

� Bringing Commendable Barren lands under irrigation for raising trees: The ecological conditions of Chitral do not permit to raise trees without irrigation. There are vast potential barren lands in the district, which can be brought under irrigation through constructing irrigation channels and or siphon irrigation system based on the experiences of AKRSP and the defunct CADP. In this way not only large chunks of marginal/sloppy lands can also be brought under tree cover to meet the ever-increasing demand of fuelwood, timber and fodder of the communities but per unit area agricultural productivity can also be enhanced.

� River Training and Reclamation of Riparian Vegetation in the District: Riverbeds in the district provide another option for raising trees. Through proper lining and reclaiming riparian vegetation and plantations in the riverbeds millions of both indigenous and exotic trees can be raised, which not only meet the much needed energy needs of the communities but will also help and support in ameliorating the environment.

� Establishment of Sub-Divisional Forest Office at Booni: The upper Chitral being geographically larger chunk of the district and covering three sub-tehsils and 42% of total population is devoid of natural forest. There used to be some juniper and birch forests in the past (30-40 years back) but due to continued over exploitation these forests have denuded and barren rocks and mountains are exposed. The communities in upper Chitral are dependent on lower Chitral for their fuelwood and timber requirements, thus creating further pressure on the meager natural forests available in lower Chitral. In upper Chitral there are vast commandable barren lands, abundant water resource and manpower available - a conducive environment for raising trees and afforestation. NWFP Forest Policy 2001 recognizes the local needs of fuelwood and construction timber and focuses on expansion of forests and participation of communities in forest management. In order to carry forward the spirits of the said forest policy it is pertinent to establish Office of the Sub-divisional Forest Officer at Booni Chitral, which is centrally located and easily accessible to the above-mentioned three sub tehsils. So far there is no administrative presence of NWFP Forest Department in Mastuj subdivision. Besides providing forestry related technical support to the local communities and other developmental organizations the Sub-Divisional Forest Office will also facilitate the people in obtaining timber permits for construction purposes. Initially the sub-divisional forest office could be established under developmental scheme and subsequently the office should be converted into permanent establishment. Operational fund for a forestation can be drawn from NWFP Forestry Development Fund, where reasonable amount is said to be available. Through the proposed office, the Forestry Development Fund can be used for reclaiming the potential hotspots by raising multipurpose tree species to meet the immediate needs of fuelwood, timber and fodder of the communities.

Moreover, the district is bestowed with abundant water resource, which has yet not been tapped to fulfill the energy requirement and betterment of the communities. Although AKRSP has had very successfully demonstrated microhydel power generations in the district, which was internationally recognized and AKRSP won the International Ashden Awards 2004 for sustainable energy. However, due to some unknown reasons this success story of AKRSP could not be capitalized to move one stage further into mini-hydel power generation in the district. Nevertheless, AKRSP�s microhydel programme in Chitral was a breakthrough in producing renewable energy and an eye opener for many other development organizations as well as for the policy makers.
According to reliable sources the district needs 37 MW of power for its total needs and has the potential to produce 4000 MW of hydro electricity. If the hydropower could be produced to its optimal potential, the district will not only be self-sufficient in its energy needs but it would also be a great source of much needed revenues for the district. Through this initiative not only the energy crisis of the district could be overcome rather the ongoing denudation and degradation of natural environment could also be checked.

Current scenario demands serious efforts for planning and prioritization of imperatives in energy sector. Our local, provincial and national political leadership can play a role in setting adequate vision for better future of Chitral.


Aziz Ali
Chitral
Email: [email protected]