Construction work continues on 10 key sites of the Mohmand Dam Project at a satisfactory pace. After completion of the pit excavation in mid-last year, the main dam rock fill has so far reached a height of 392 meters above mean sea level. Construction progress on the spillway currently stands at about 70%. Structure works at the power house have also commenced after completion of surface excavation and rock support for the power intake. In addition, the detailed design of the electromechanical equipment for the powerhouse has been completed, leading to the manufacturing of the equipment.
Chairman WAPDA, Lt Gen Muhammad Saeed (Retd), was briefed on this effect by the project management during his visit to the Mohmand Dam Project today. He reviewed construction activities on all key sites, including the spillway, main dam, quarry development area and powerhouse.
During the site visit, the GM/PD Asim Rauf Khan, along with the project team, consultants, and contractors, briefed the Chairman on progress at each site, timelines, and plans to achieve the targets. He was also apprised of the milestones to be achieved in 2026. Overall progress on the Mohmand Dam Project is about 50%. After completion of the main dam, the project will start electricity generation by early 2028.
After the site visit, the Chairman had a detailed meeting with the WAPDA project team, the consultants and the contractor. The Chairman said that the completion of the Mohmand Dam Project, without any further delay, is all the more important to meet the country’s increasing water needs and provide affordable electricity. He emphasised to the contractor the need to expedite quarry development, which is crucial to accelerating construction of the main dam. He also directed the contractor to make additional resources available at the project to meet the targets, in accordance with their contractual obligations. The Chairman, referring to the resource-loaded revised schedule, urged the consultants to ensure its implementation in letter and spirit to complete the project in accordance with the timelines.
The Mohmand Dam Project is being constructed on the River Swat in the Mohmand Tribal District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. With a height of 213 meters, Mohmand Dam is the 5th highest concrete faced-rock fill dam (CFRD) in the world. It has a gross water storage capacity of 1.29 MAF, which will help irrigate 18,233 acres of new land in Mohmand and Charsadda, and supplement irrigation supplies to 160,000 acres of existing land. The project will also control floods in Charsadda, Peshawar and Nowshera, and supply 300 million gallons per day of water to Peshawar for municipal use. With an installed power capacity of 800 MW, the project will contribute 2.86 billion units of green, clean and affordable hydel electricity to the National Grid per annum.
Mohmand Dam Project is not only vital to the national economy but will also bring socio-economic development to the backward and far-flung areas of District Mohmand. As many as 7,000 employment opportunities have been created for the project’s construction, with priority given to locals. A sum of Rs. 4.5 billion has also been earmarked for development schemes in the project area as confidence-building measures.
