MANSEHRA: The Balakot police on Thursday booked more than 100 people for stopping work on 870-megawatt Suki Kanari hydropower project.

Balakot police station SHO Arshad Khan told reporters here that the action had been taken against 107 suspects on the written complaint of the Chinese company working on the project.

Engineer Fua Shue Ching had complained that a mob stormed the project`s site on May 30 and threw equipment into the Kunhar River.

He claimed that Wajihuddin Shah, Shamsuddin Shah, Azhar Ali Shah, Saeed Shah, Mumtaz Shah and Sabir Shah led the mob, who also warned workers against working on the project.

The police said they had booked 107 suspects under CRPC sections 506, 149, 142 and 442 before conducting raidsfor their arrests.

Also in the day, deputy superintendent of police Shimraz Khan, Balakot police station SHO Arshad Khan and Kaghan police station SHO Tariq Khan held talks with the committee representing the people affected by the Suki Kanari dam and convinced them not to block the MansehraNaran-Jalkhad Road.

The DSP told the committee members that the commissioner of Hazara division and deputy commissioner of Mansehra district had already taken up theirdemands with the relevant federal and provincial authorities for necessary action and therefore, they shouldn`t take the law into their hands.

He warned that the police wouldn`t tolerate the blockade of the MNJ Road, any unruly behaviour towards Chinese engineers and interference in work on the dam and those doing so would be dealt with strictly.

Mr Shimraz said better land price and jobs in dam project for locals were the tops demands of the committee.

THREE TUBEWELLS TO BE SUNK: The tehsil municipal administration has decided to sink three tubewells in Mansehra on emergency basis to address water crisis in the city and adjoining areas.

The decision was made during a meeting chaired by tehsil nazim Khurram Khan Swati and attended by water and sanitation committee chairman Mian Ibrar Shah and relevant officials.

The participants decided that the survey to find appropriate sites for the proposed tubewells would begin immediately.

The nazim said he knew that water shortage had emerged as a major problem of the city and therefore, the sinking of three tubewells had been decided.

He said the local government was discussing modalities for a mega water supply scheme in Mansehra with the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

`The proposed scheme will ensure supply of drinking water to all households in the city and its suburbs, he said.

The nazim said the water crisis depended after water table plunged drastically.