SKARDU: Due to 18-hour daily power outages in Pakistan’s steep valleys, Aniqa Bano, a local teacher, keeps books and culinary utensils in her refrigerator.
Most of the fuel-short country experiences load shedding on a regular basis, although few places have the same protracted outages as Skardu city.
Climbers and Pakistanis fleeing heatwaves are driving a spike in mountain tourism that is quickly exhausting the limited energy supply at the entry point to climb K2, the second-highest peak in the world.
Solar panels are mounted on the top of a building in Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, as shown in this May 9, 2024 photo. AFP
Many residents cannot afford such pleasures, even if upscale hotels can supplement their supply with solar panels or gasoline generators.
