The construction on the 885 megawatts Suki Kinari Hydropower project being built at Kunhar River in Kaghan valley is still in progress 24/4 due to complete lockdown all over in the district.
Deputy Director commercial and technical affairs of dam Bilal Khan said in a statement that the work on this mega energy project is still in progress. We have been taking all precautionary measures laid down by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to in order to contain the spread of Coronavirus.
He further said that laborers were mandated to either stay all day at sites or go on leaves.
He added that every single labourer is screened, sprayed with sanitizers before moving to worksites.
The chief minister’s special advisor on population, Ahmad Hussain Shah, had conveyed his reservations to deputy commissioner about the possibility of the outbreak of Coronavirus because of big gathering at dam’s worksites. I am worried about the safety of laborers still working on Suki Kinari project in a large number and requested the deputy commissioner to take notice of the issue.
Provincial secretary of civil society and culture Taj Mohammad Khan Swati informed media that lockdown means the suspension of any kind of activities and staying at home.
He added that as social distancing is highly important to contain the outbreak of Covid-19, and if over 800 laborers working in each of 18 tunnels, how this valley could be safe from deadly virus.
He informed that he had also approached DC Hazara division, Zaheerul Islam and requested him to enforce government’s lockdown there too but to no avail. Meanwhile, the National Bank of Pakistan has started transmitting salaries of over 100,000 government employees of Mansehra and Battagram districts in their accounts.