Chinese companies suspend work on Diamer Bhasha dam also

Peshawar: After Dasu and Tarbela dams, Chinese companies have suspended the civil work on Diamer Bhasha Dam, however, Chinese residents are still working on Mohmand Dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

About 500 Chinese nationals are engaged in the construction of the dam at Diamer Bhasha Dam while the local staff have been instructed to stay at home until further orders.

Earlier on Tuesday, a bus loaded with explosives collided with a vehicle on the Karakoram highway in Bisham, killing five Chinese engineers working on the Dasu Dam.

An official working on the project confirmed that the Chinese company has stopped work on Dasu Dam and local staff have been asked to stay home.

About 741 Chinese and 6,000 local people are working on the 4320 MW Dasu Dam in Upper Kohistan district.

General Manager of Diamer Bhasha Dam Nazakat Hussain also confirmed that the Chinese company has stopped work on the dam.

He said that about 500 Chinese citizens are engaged in the construction of the dam, but the FWO staff is working on it. 6000 local people are engaged in the work on the dam. He hoped that the situation would return to normal in a few days, resulting in the return of Chinese workers.

It is pertinent to note that Diamer Bhasha Dam will generate 4800 MW of electricity through hydropower generation.

Mohmand Dam General Manager Asim Rauf told that 250 Chinese are working on Mohmand Dam and they have not stopped the work. The Chinese have expressed satisfaction over the security situation in the project area and are working on the site.