The Water and Power Development Authority has approved 94.23 million rupees for 75 schools in the Diamer Basha Dam project area to keep them running for the next three years and support girls’ education in Diamer district, it said on Tuesday, according to a Gwadar Pro's report.

The funding will support about 2,250 girls in Chilas, Tangir and Darel under the Community-Based Accelerated Learning Schools programme, according to a WAPDA statement. The schools, operated with the READ Foundation, had faced closure because of a funding shortfall.

WAPDA said the money would come from its contingency budget. The programme will be overseen jointly by WAPDA, the Gilgit-Baltistan education department and the READ Foundation.

Separately, WAPDA approved 29.5 million rupees for the rehabilitation of five government schools in Tangir and Darel, including furniture, stationery, other basic facilities and two coaster buses for students, the statement said.

The rehabilitation plan was proposed by the Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts and will be carried out under the joint supervision of WAPDA, the Gilgit-Baltistan education department and the scouts.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China