SKARDU, Pakistan — A surge in mountain tourism, driven by climbers and Pakistanis looking to escape heat waves, is rapidly depleting the limited energy supply at the gateway to ascend K2, the world's second-highest peak.While higher-end hotels can supplement their supply with solar panels or fuel generators, many locals cannot afford such luxuries.'We have to reinvent everything that once used electricity,' said Bano.
There are up to 22 hours of load shedding in winter and between 18 and 20 hours in summer — an increase of around 10 percent each year for the past six years, according to the department.Siddiqa, a tailor and handicraft maker who goes by one name, has seen her earnings fall alongside the number of hours of electricity.'When we started this business in 2014, there was no issue of power,' she told AFP. 'Now, I have replaced all the electric machines and brought hand sewing machines.