GB govt buildings to get rooftop solar systems by December

• PM notes 100MW project will help reduce loadshedding
• GB govt says continuous flooding since June has damaged hydel infrastructure in region

ISLAMABAD/ GILGIT: The federal government will install rooftop solar systems with battery storage on 499 government buildings in Gilgit-Baltistan by December as part of a 100MW solar energy project to help overcome power loadshedding in the region, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was informed on Wednesday.

“The promotion of solar energy is a key to the country’s national energy strategy for advance clean, affordable and sustainable power,” the prime minister said while presiding over a meeting about provision of electricity to Gilgit-Baltistan.

“The 100MW solar project is a gift from the federal government for the Gilgit-Baltistan people,” the prime minister said.

He directed the power division to fulfill its responsibilities regarding installation and timely completion of the project. He also instructed the department to ensure complete transparency throughout the procurement process of the project and said that all payments should be made only after a third-party validation.

During the meeting, participants were briefed on the project. Under the project, 18MW of rooftop solar systems, along with battery storage, will be installed on 499 government buildings by December this year.

The PC-I for the 82MW utility-scale solar project has been submitted to Ecnec for approval. The 82MW solar project is likely to benefit about 1.3 million people. Upon completion, the project will improve the quality of electricity services in GB and help eliminate load-shedding in the area.

Climate impact

Meanwhile, the GB Water and Power Department claimed on Wednesday that climate change-induced floods and rapid melting of glaciers have severely impacted power generation in the area.

In a statement, the department said that recurring flooding in streams and rivers owing to rapid melting of glaciers, flash floods and cloud-burst-triggered floods continued to inflict extensive damage on head works, intakes and feeder channels of hydropower stations in the region, significantly reducing power generation during the peak summer season.

The power generation in the region dep­e­nds on hydropower stations. A spokespers­on for the GB water and power department said the GB government operated 138 run-of-the-river hydropower stations with a total instal­led power generation capacity of 211.6MW.

However, he said, continuous flooding since June has damaged critical infrastructures of hydropower stations across GB, reducing the available power generation capacity to approximately 157MW.

With the rising population in the region, the region’s electricity demand has gone up to 285MW during the summer, resulting in the power deficit of about 126MW.

Several large hydropower projects are in the pipeline, but their implementation has been delayed due to funding constraints and litigation. Restoration and maintenance of power projects remain challenging because floods wash away access roads to remote hydropower stations, making transportation of heavy machinery and equipment difficult in those areas.

More than 5,000 air conditioners have been sold this year in Gilgit, Skardu, and Chilas, adding an estimated 11MW to the regional load. Rapid construction of hotels, commercial establishments, and residential buildings has further increased electricity demand in the area.

Despite being one of the country’s lowest electr­icity tariffs, only about 40pc of GB consumers regularly pay electricity bills, limiting res­o­u­rces for operation, maintenance and rehabilitation. Recurring floods deposit silt and deb­ris into feeder channels, forcing pow­er hou­ses to shut down until channels are cleared.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2026

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