A major demonstration has kicked off in Kabul city this morning July 23 to protest against the implementation of a massive power project, 500kV TUTAP project through Salang pass. The demonstration has been organized by Enlightening Movement which has been formed to protest against the implementation of the project which was originally planned through Bamyan province. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Mazari square in the West of Kabul city to start their rally. The Enlightening Movement is saying that the women, elder men, and youths have taken part in the rally as it calls on the rally participants to keep the city clean. This comes as the Office of the Second Vice President earlier said the demonstration has been cancelled after the government reached to an agreement with the movement to hold further talks on the issue. This is the second the movement has been organizing large demonstration in Kabul city in the past two months. The Afghan government decided to halt the execution of the project and order a commission to review the project through Salang pass and Bamyan province. President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani issued a decree after a commission concluded its review regarding the implementation of the project. In his decree following the conclusion of the commission, President Ghani ordered that a 220kW double circuit power line will be transmitted from from Doshi to the central provinces to transmit 300 megawatt of electricity that would be enough for the entire central provinces. The decree further stated that the power 220kV power line should be executed to include the construction of a 220kV (double circuit) electricity network to transmit 300 megawatt of electricity from Doshi to center of Bamyan with the start of the project to be from the first of the month of June and should conclude in the solar year 1398. However the protesters are saying that their demonstrations will continue until the government choose the original route for the implementation of the project which is through Bamyan and Maidan Wardak provinces.
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