New Balakot City remains a distant dream

15 years after devastating quake, the project remains incomplete

BALAKOT: Around 15 years past the devastating earthquake of 2005 that ravage the northern Pakistan, people of Balokot wait for the development of new city they were promised.

Despite spending billions of rupees, the government has yet to complete the New Balakot City project.

Even a suo moto action by the then Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar failed to get any progress on the project.

At least 5,200 families have been waiting for the construction of New Balakot City project for past 15 years, but they have received nothing more than empty promises.

Following the 2005 catastrophic earthquake of 2005, the government, on recommendations of geologists, had declared Balakot and Garlat as a red zone and banned all kinds of constructions. Government had also cancelled the resettlement process and started the resettlement plan for New Balakot City at Bakrial.

In 2007, to implement the project, the government allocated 15,000 kanals of land for the resettlement of New Balakot City at Bakrial, away from the fault line, where a total of 5,000 plots were to be allotted to the affectees of red zone in the new Bakrial City.

However, only 1,500 plots have been developed by Earth Quake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) so far, due to non-occupation of land by the owners.

New Balakot City is an international standard project, but the construction and materials are being wasted due to inattention, which is costing the government billion of rupees.

In Bakrial City, ERRA has completed 15 kilometre road while 49 kilometre of road is under construction.

ERRA has reportedly spent around Rs4.053 billion, however most of the amount has gone into non-development expenses like salaries, fuel boarding and lodging.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2020.