PESHAWAR: Civil works at the Dasu and Diamer-Bhasha dam sites have been temporarily suspended by Chinese companies overseeing the operations for security reasons, a day after work on the Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project was also suspended, The News reported on Friday.
The development comes after a terror attack in Shangle earlier this week claimed the lives of at least six people including five Chinese engineers working on the Dasu Dam.
The victims were killed when a vehicle laden with explosives rammed into a bus carrying them on the Karakoram Highway in Bisham area on Tuesday.
Around 991 Chinese engineers were working on the two projects, while local employees were told to stay home until further instructions, an official working on the project confirmed to the publication.
About 741 Chinese and 6,000 locals work at the 4,320 MW Dasu Dam in Upper Kohistan district. However, work on the Mohmand Dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues, with Chinese engineers still working on site.
Similarly, Diamer-Bhasha Dam (DBD) General Manager Nazakat Hussain also confirmed that the Chinese company has suspended the work on the dam. He said around 500 Chinese nationals were involved in DBD, but FWO staff continued to work. Around 6,000 local residents are engaged in the construction of dams.
He hoped the situation would normalize within a few days, leading to the return of Chinese workers. The Diamer-Bhasha dam would generate 4,800 MW of electricity through hydropower generation.
However, Mohmand Dam CEO Asim Rauf told The News that 250 Chinese continue to work on Mohmand Dam and have not stopped work.
“The Chinese have expressed satisfaction with the security situation in the project area and are working on site,” the official said.
When completed, Mohmand Dam will generate 740 MW of hydroelectricity, irrigate 15,100 acres of land and control floods downstream.
