Drivers of Dasu Power Project go on strike to demand payment of arrears

Mansehra [Pakistan], February 19 (ANI): Drivers and transporters for the Dasu hydropower project, as well as Chinese engineers and other personnel, went on strike to demand payment of arrears on Saturday, reported The News International.
They also protested by parking their vehicles at the Dasu Dam site, demanding that their outstanding funds for the previous four months be released immediately.
The protesters stated that they would refuse to provide services to Chinese engineers and labourers until their outstanding arrears were paid, reported The News International.
The drivers of rented vehicles didn't take foreigners to their respective working sites of the 4320 megawatts Dasu Hydropower Project which affected the work on the mega energy project being executed in the Upper Kohistan district with financial assistance from the World Bank and other lending agencies.
The drivers and transporters had warned management on Feb 8, 2023, not to take foreigners to their respective sites if their demands were not met, reported The News International.
Meanwhile, the families of the Saglu area affected by the Dasu hydropower project staged a sit-in and demanded that Wapda release their payments for the rehabilitation process.
They raised slogans in support of their demands and said that the Wapda and district administration had assured them for the last one-year that their payments would be released but to no avail, reported The News International.
Dasu Hydropower Project is a run of river project on the Indus River located 7 km upstream of Dasu Town, District Kohistan (Upper), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The site is 74 km downstream of the proposed Diamer Basha Dam site and 345km from Islamabad.
The project will generate 4320MW (12 Units @ 360 MW each) hydroelectric power with annual energy of 21445GWh and will be developed in two (02) Stages (Stage-I&II). Stage-I will generate 2160MW (06 Units @ 360MW each) with annual energy of 12,222GWh. Stage-I will be completed in five (05) years.
Dasu Hydropower Project is one of the priority projects under the Power Policy 2013 and the Vision 2025 of the Government of Pakistan.
The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has signed a Rs 52.5 billion contract with a joint venture of General Electric Hydro China and Power China Zhongnan Engineering Corporation for electro-mechanical works of the Dasu hydropower project (stage-I). (ANI)