Progress of work on Balakot power project reviewed

PESHAWAR: The work on the 300 megawatts Balakot Hydropower Project was going at fast pace and the scheme would be completed in the stipulated time, an official said on Tuesday.

“The construction work of Balakot Hydropower Project, the largest hydropower project in Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is going on at a fast pace,” said Naeem Khan, the chief executive officer of the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (PEDO).

Naeem Khan visited the Balakot site with the team members of the Chinese construction company Gazoba, China, and the Turkish consultant company, Dolsar, to review the progress of the work.

Balakot HPP, a flagship project of KP, to be completed during the next 7 years with the financial support of Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The completion of the project would bring an annual income of Rs15 billion to the province and would provide employment to around 1400 people.In the meeting, satisfaction was expressed over the progress made on the acquisition of land for the project and it was informed that the detailed design work of the project has already been successfully completed within the stipulated period.