Work on Dasu power project well in progress, says official

MANSEHRA: The Chinese company executing the 4300-megawatts Dasu Hydropower project in Upper Kohistan on Saturday said that work on the country’s mega energy project was well underway.

“The execution of Dasu dam is well in progress, but a fake notification attributed to our company is circulated on social media that the workers have been instructed to go home,” an official of the China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) told reporters by telephone from Kohistan.

He said that a fake letter ascribed to their company said that owing to a dispute between the local community and Wapda the workers were directed to go on leave as execution of the mega energy project was suspended.

“The execution of the dam is well in progress as it’s a World Bank funded project.

Work on some community development projects including schools, water schemes and alternative Karakoram Highway portion have been suspended,” he added.

A group of landowners stormed the working site in the Saglu area and suspended work on the development project a day earlier. They raised slogans in support of their demands and against Wapda.

“We want Wapda to honour its agreements which it signed with us since the acquisition of land for the Dasu dam in 2016,” said Maulana Waliullah Tohidee, one of the members of the reservoir committee of affectees.

He said that Deputy Commissioner, Upper Kohistan, Tariq Khan and District Police Officer Mukhtar Khan Tanoli held talks with protesters and assured them that work on the dam would remain suspended but they didn’t honour their commitment and local and Chinese workers were executing their assigned duties as usual.

“We will continue our protest and get the execution of the dam suspended until our demands are met by Wapda,” Tohidee said.