An impressive yet simple ground breaking ceremony of Defense Housing Authority’s (DHA) own grid station was held on Wedneday in DHA Phase-12 Lahore. DHA Lahore Administrator Brigadier Muhammad Sajid Khokhar graced the occasion as chief guest. LESCO Chief Executive Mujahid Pervaiz Chattha, Netracon Technologies Managing Director Syed Asghar Ali Sherazi and senior officers of DHA Lahore attended the ceremony. The ceremony commenced with the recitation of the holy Quran followed by a welcome address by DHA Project Director Phase-12 Colonel Tahir Hussain. In his speech, Sajid Khokhar said, “DHA Lahore has expanded from 34,000 kanals to 300,000 kanals and this has increased the demand for the continuous and uninterruptible power supply. The DHA has proposed 21 grid stations including one of 220KV. Four grid stations are already under approval. Six are under construction and one is already energised. While emphasising, he said that on Wednesday, we are going to start construction of 132KV GIS Grid Station in Phase-12 with the approval/permission of LESCO and distribution license obtained from National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA). Its design was approved by the National Transmission & Dispatch Company. A no objection certificate was already obtained from the EPA government. DHA has adopted the latest grid station technology on GIS instead of AIS, thus providing maximum human safety. This project facilitates DHA Phase-12 residents and provides them with uninterrupted and stable power supply as well as to strengthen LESCO to face the difficulties and lessen its burden for the energy shortage. It is the new feather in the cap of DHA Lahore; he further added. This 132KV GIS grid station consists of 11 kanals of land and the construction of grid station is 100 percent cost basis by DHA. The estimated cost of the grid station is approximately Rs 345 million. The project will be completed by July 2019. After the completion and energisation of grid station, it will be handed over to LESCO for its operation and maintenance. Well known and Pakistan Engineering Council approved companies Netracon Technologies and Powercom are engaged as contractors and consultants respectively. In his speech, Khokhar also said that DHA Lahore has started many projects of international standards. He remarked that he was engrained by the wonderful efforts of DHA Chief Engineer Branch and Phase XII in achieving and maintaining high standards of construction and development. A large number of dignitaries, DHA residents, real estate developers and dealers, and officials of contractors and consultants attended the ceremony. Published in Daily Times, July 12th 2018.