LAHORE: The 800MW Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project will start cheap and green/clean power generation by 2027, as the project, following diversion of River Swat in August last year, is progressing ahead at a good pace with the construction work on all key sites.

The government had launched construction work on the project in 2019. The project is being completed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to provide flood mitigation, irrigation water for thousands of acres of land and hydropower generation. The concrete-faced rockfill dam will have a height of 700 feet. It will impound water for a powerhouse with a capacity of 800MW.

Wapda Chairman retired Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani also visited the project on Monday and reviewed in detail the construction activities on spillway, upstream and downstream coffer dams, diversion tunnels, power house and power intake.

The project director along with consultants and the contractors briefed the chairman about the targets and the achievements on different work fronts. It was briefed that concreting on the spillway is progressing ahead of schedule. Downs­tream cofferdam has reached the design height, while upstream cofferdam will attain its maximum elevation of 414 meter above sea level in April this year. Exca­vation for construction of the main dam pit and side slopes stripping is also in progress. Excavation works for construction of the power tunnel, penstocks and manifold/shaft access tunnels are also und­e­rway. Likewise, excavation for the irri­gation tunnels and rock support works are also going on; while construction work on the left side main canal is also continuing.

Later, the chairman also presided over a progress review meeting at the project off­i­ce. Detailed deliberations were made during the meeting on various issues inclu­ding quarry development, large-scale triaxial ma­c­hine testing, electrical and mec­h­a­nical design and manufacturing etc.

Addressing the meeting, the chairman underlined the significance of quarry development for construction of the main dam. He urged the contractors to review the plan and deploy additional resources for much-needed quarry development. He also directed the project management, the consultants and the contractors to adhere to the timelines for completion without compromising on the quality.

According to a spokesman, Wapda is constructing Mohmand Dam Project across River Swat in Mohmand district. It is the fifth highest concrete-face-rock-fill dam in the world.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2025