Pakistan’s Tarbela Dam Project faces fresh setback after rock collapse sends water into construction site
Pakistan’s Tarbela Dam Project. (Image courtesy: Screenshots from a viral video shared on X.)
New Delhi: A rock collapse at Pakistan’s Tarbela Dam Fifth Extension Project caused water to enter an under-construction tunnel and powerhouse on Monday, forcing authorities to evacuate workers and suspend construction. All workers were moved to safety, with no injuries or casualties reported.
The incident took place during excavation of the Second Bench Connecting Tunnel, where a weak section of rock gave way. Water from the Intake Pit subsequently entered the tunnel and the nearby powerhouse area.
Speaking to Arab News, the Pakistan’s Haripur deputy commissioner, Waseem Ahmed, confirmed that all workers were evacuated safely. He also dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that the dam had collapsed, saying there was no flooding downstream.
Pakistan’s water and power development authority (Wapda) said the water from the Intake Pit had been completely drained and work to remove accumulated water from the under-construction powerhouse had begun, the Radio Pakistan reported.
The authority clarified that the main tunnel, powerhouse, tailrace culvert and switchyard had not been damaged. According to media report, Senior Wapda officials, the project engineer and the contractor were assessing the site to determine whether the incident had affected other structures.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Swabi deputy commissioner, Nasarullah Khan, warned of rising water levels in the Indus River following additional water releases from Tarbela Dam, Dawn reported. He urged residents to avoid swimming, bathing and boating in the river and follow official safety advisories.
The latest incident comes months after an inquiry into an earlier cofferdam collapse at the same project held Wapda, the contractor and the consultant responsible. A government-appointed committee identified unauthorized design changes made after the contract was awarded as one of the major reasons behind that failure.
The earlier collapse delayed the project by at least two years and increased its estimated cost from PKR 82 billion to PKR 317 billion, an escalation of more than 285 per cent. The project, originally scheduled for completion in 2026, is now expected to be completed by June 2028.
The 1,530MW extension is being financed by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which have committed $390 million and $300 million, respectively. Once completed, it will increase Tarbela Dam’s total installed power generation capacity from 4,888MW to 6,418MW.
