Protesters halt supply from Dobair plant

KOHISTAN:

Hundreds of Kohistan residents forcibly stopped the generation of electricity from Dobair Khwar Hydropower Plant, depriving Wapda’s main distribution system of 130 megawatts of power. This was shared by locals and police on Monday.

The villagers and elders  protested against Wapda for not honouring its commitment to provide electricity. They warned of continued power disruption until their demands were met.

Police said people of Kohistan had earlier suspended construction work on the Dasu Hydropower Project.

Locals and police said that following a jirga of Lower and Upper Kohistan elders, hundreds of locals surrounded the powerhouse of Dobair Khwar Hydropower Plant on Sunday. “They forced Wapda staff to suspend power supply from the 130 megawatt project that had started commercial generation in 2014,” said a local. A police team, headed by Kohistan DPO Iftikhar Khan, negotiated with the protesters.

When asked, Iftikhar confirmed that power supply from the Dobair plant had been suspended. However, he added that a contingent of police had been deployed at the plant. “Kohistanis are reluctant to talk to Federal Minister for Water and Power Khwaja Asif,” said Iftikhar. “But the matter has been taken up with higher authorities; they will arrange their meeting with the minister and Wapda authorities on December 17.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2015.