ISLAMABAD: The construction work on two key water projects — 1,410MW Tarbela 4th Extension (T4) and Mangla protection dyke — has come to a halt, jeopardising completion of the hydropower projects by the deadline of 2017 and causing fears of problems in the looming flood season.

While the key stakeholders — the ministry of water and power, the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) — are engaged in meetings to grapple with the unforeseen situation to avoid a crisis, the contractors at both the critical projects have demobilised men and machinery.

According to an official, both the ministry and Wapda were caught off guard as unpreparedness coupled with natural events changed the situation.

Tarbela extension was one of the key projects the government was banking on to reduce power shortage with its schedule of generating electricity by June next year.

On the request of Wapda authorities, the Irsa advisory committee decided in March not to fill the dam beyond 1,490 feet till July 15 against its maximum capacity of 1,550 feet to enable construction of the T4 tunnel.

Wapda was required under the decision to ensure a 1,514-foot coffer bund to facilitate the tunnel’s construction. It was noted that the coffer dam’s strength to the level of 1.485 feet was up to the mark but was below standard beyond that level.

Meanwhile, temperatures rose in the Skardu catchments above 34 degree Celsius and river flows increased beyond estimates by about 22 per cent. Therefore, Wapda authorities at Tarbela Dam requested that filling be kept below 1,482 feet instead of 1,490 feet approved by Irsa to avoid damage to the tunnel.

MANGLA DAM: According to sources, the Wapda authorities had also reported to the government that it had constructed a coffer dam to ensure construction of protection dam at Khaliqabad that was drowned last year. However, it later transpired that the coffer dam level was not in line with the project specifications.

The contractor who supplies stone for the protection bund pitching, has also suspended work following a Supreme Court order banning stone crushing and excavation from Margalla Hills.

The power ministry has reported that the contractor will now start supplying stone from a new place near Rawat but that will take a few days to pick up pace.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2016