Torrential rains and flash floods have left at least 23 people dead and eight others injured in Shangla, where the monsoon onslaught has destroyed houses, mosques, schools, and the roads and bridges connecting the district’s mountainous communities. Farmland has also been severely damaged, compounding the suffering of already vulnerable families.

When such disasters strike, Shangla’s residents face immediate and severe disruptions to electricity. Most villages depend on small, locally built generators along rivers — even though two dams in Shangla generate around 86 megawatts of electricity, far exceeding the district’s estimated requirement of just 7 megawatts. Yet, due to policy restrictions, Shangla’s own power supply is not provided to its residents. As a result, floods not only damage the local generators but also plunge communities into darkness, forcing them to endure prolonged blackouts while their surplus electricity is sent elsewhere.

Communication is another casualty. Internet service, already unreliable across the district, collapses almost entirely during such events. With damaged lines and disrupted signals, residents are cut off from vital information, unable to contact loved ones or access digital resources — a serious handicap in an era when connectivity is essential for safety, education, and livelihood.

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© The Spine Times