Mohmand dam to be completed in 2025: Wapda chairman

F.P. Report

LAHORE: Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) is confident to complete multipurpose Mohmand hydropower project during high-flow season in 2025 as per the timeline because the project is moving ahead with a good pace of construction work.

Wapda Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Muzammil Hussain said this during his visit to Mohmand dam, being constructed over Swat River in tribal district Mohmand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a spokesman said here on Saturday.

The chairman had a detailed round of the under-construction access roads, offices and staff residential area, diversion tunnels, irrigation tunnel and re-regulation pond.

He said that Mohmand dam was the 5th highest concrete-face-rock-fill dam (CFRD) in the world. He said the total priority land had already been acquired with the unprecedented support of the locals, district administration of Mohmand district and the KPK provincial government due to concerted efforts of the Wapda Land Acquisition and Resettlement officers.

The chairman said that Rs 4.53 billion would be spent on confidence-building measures (CBM) in the project area for socioeconomic development of the locals. He appreciated the security forces for enhanced security arrangements in the project area to enable the project management to carry out construction work day and night to meet the construction schedule.

Providing details of benefits of the project, the chairman said that Mohmand Hydropower Project was historic and unique in nature, being constructed after a delay of over five decades. “The project is scheduled to be completed in five years and eight months. It will store about 1.2 million-acre feet (MAF) of water, generate 800 megawatts (MW) of electricity, contribute 2.86 billion units of low-cost hydel electricity annually to the national grid and help mitigate floods in Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera.

“Besides supplementing 160,000 acres of existing land, about 16,700 acres of new land will also be irrigated because of Mohmand dam.

“In addition, 300 million gallons water per day will also be provided to Peshawar for drinking purpose. Annual benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs 51.6 billion,” he added.

Wapda General Manager (Land Acquisition and Resettlement) Brig (retd) Shoaib Taqi, General Manager and Project Director Javed Afridi, representatives of consultants and contractors and other senior Wapda officers were also present.