WAPDA is pre-suited to divert the Swat River at the Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project, as the tunnels have been completed for this purpose. The project team is expected to divert the River Swat after the closure of the river dam in the coming days. Still, every effort is being made to reach this important achievement during the high flow of the season, it added.
Chairman’s Visit
With this aforesaid important arrangement ahead of it, besides many other multiple construction works in progress at the project, the Chairman of WAPDA, Engr. Lt. Gen. Sajjad Ghani (Retd), visited the Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project and had a physical assessment of the construction on the project.
Site Inspection
He had a comprehensive working tour whereby he paid visits to outlets and inlets of diversion tunnels, power houses, spillways, and power intakes for the purpose of assessing construction exercises. GM/PD Mohmand Dam Project, his team members, and representatives of the consultants and contractors presented the progress of work to the chairman with respect to various work fronts.
Project Updates
Briefing the Chairman, the following updates were made: Diversion tunnel 3/1 for concrete lining is now ready, and the inlet structure of the said tunnel is ready to divert the river. Power house & power intake excavation and rock support with concrete for spillway heads are also advancing at a faster pace. He was also informed of the fact that the dam fill material has also been dispatched to China to conduct tri-axial tests on a large scale as per the planned program for these kinds of tests.
Progress Review
The chairman also chaired a progress review with team WAPDA, consultants, and contractors at a meeting at the project office. The meeting addressed the details of the river diversion plan, the quarry development plan, and the construction plan of the main dam. The chairman intervened with consultants and contractors and called for compliance with the intended specifications.
Project Overview
Here, it is worthy to indicate that the Mohmand Dam Project is being planned by WAPDA over the River Swat in the Mohmand District of KPK. It is the fifth-highest CFRD dam in the world and the highest CFRD dam in Pakistan. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the financial year 2026–27.
Dam Benefits
Mohmand Dam is an irrigation dam that will cause water storage for irrigation purposes, flood control, provide water for Peshawar city for domestic use, and produce green, clean, and cheap electricity for consumption. This Mohmand Dam will generate and store 1.29 MAF of water for new irrigation in 1832,37 hectares . of Mohmand and Charsadda, and 160000 acres of augmented irrigation in the existing areas. It has an installed power capacity of 800 MW, while it generates a yearly electricity output of 2.86 billion units of electricity that have been produced and distributed. It would also be possible to supply 300 million gallons of water per day to Peshawar for River Valley and drinking needs. The returns generated annually by the project are expected to be Rs. 51.6 billion.
