Chinese companies suspend work on Dasu, Diamer-Bhasha dams

PESHAWAR: After Tarbela Dam, Chinese companies have also suspended civil work on the Dasu and Diamer-Bhasha Dams. Approximately, 991 Chinese engineers working on both projects have stopped operations. Local staff of both projects have been directed to stay home till further orders.

However, the Chinese engineers are still working on the Mohmand Dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Five Chinese engineers working on the Dasu Dam perished when an explosive-laden vehicle hit the bus they were travelling in on the Karakoram Highway in the Bisham area on Tuesday.

An official working on the project confirmed that the Chinese company stopped work on Dasu Dam and local staff was asked to stay at home. Around 741 Chinese and 6,000 locals are working on the 4,320 MW Dasu Dam in District Upper Kohistan.

Similarly, GM Diamer-Bhasha Dam (DBD) Nazakat Hussain also confirmed that the Chinese company had stopped work on the dam. He said around 500 Chinese nationals were engaged in DBD but the FWO staff continues to work. Around 6,000 locals are busy in dam construction.

He hoped that the situation would normalise in a few days, leading to the return of Chinese employees. The Diamer-Bhasha Dam would produce 4,800 MW of electricity through hydropower generation.

However, the GM of Mohmand Dam Asim Rauf told this correspondent that 250 Chinese continue to work on the Mohmand Dam and they have not stopped work. “Chinese have shown satisfaction over the security situation in the project area and they are working on the site,” he said. Once completed, the Mohmand Dam will generate 740 MWs of hydroelectricity, irrigate 15,100 acres of land and control floods downstream.