SWABI: Over 60 Chinese engineers and workers of Tarbela Dam fourth extension project have been sent back home recently and it is not yet known when their replacement would reach Tarbela Dam to accelerate construction activities, sources in the China camp told this correspondent here on Wednesday.
They said that it was not known whether their replacement would reach from China or local engineers and workers would be hired by the Chinese company, Sinohydro. They claimed that the workers were sent home because a few weeks ago they clashed with each other during work.
Three Chinese engineers and as many workers were killed on July 3 when a section of under-construction site of the new power house at Tarbela Dam fourth extension project had collapsed.
Quoting officials the sources said that a Chinese investigation team visited the site of July 3 incident a few days ago.
However, they said that they were not in a position to say about when the probe report would be released.
They said that construction activities had not yet resumed at the incident site, but work on the other section was in full swing.
When contacted, Water and Power Development Authority officials told Dawn that the federal government wanted completion of the project as soon as possible. The Tarbela fourth extension hydropower project is scheduled to be completed in June 2017.
It would enable the PML-N government to add 1,410 megawatts of electricity to the national grid before the next general elections.
The PML-N leadership has stated clearly that they wanted timely completion of the project and the start of work on fifth extension project of Tarbela Dam.
“We want to fulfil our pledge about ending energy crisis in the country,” said MPA Shiraz Khan.
ARRESTED: Police have arrested two brothers from Sheikh Maltun Town, Mardan, who were allegedly involved in snatching of a car and killing its driver on July 8 in Swabi district, said district police officer Javid Iqbal here on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference, Mr Iqbal said that Tahir Said who belonged to Takht Bhai, Mardan, was brought to Swabi and killed here.
He said that the police constituted a team which arrested the two brothers identified as Akhtar Ali and Zawar Ali, both residents of Mardan.
