Altaf Hamid Rao.
Two Portions of Diversion Tunnel Connected,
MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times) : The Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has achieved yet another major milestone towards completion of river diversion system of Mohmand Dam Project, as two portions of Diversion Tunnel 2 of the project have been connected with precision, it was officially announced on Monday.
The project management achieved this milestone today during the mining operation at the diversion system by breaking through two portions of Diversion Tunnel 2 – one from the access tunnel side while the other from outlet portal, media wing of WAPDA told Monday.
WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd), Mohmand Dam General Manager and Project Director Muhammad Javed Afridi, representatives of the consultants – Mohmand Dam Consulting Group – and the contractors – China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) – witnessed the event, it said.
While congratulating the project management, the consultants and the contractors on breakthrough of the two portions of the diversion tunnel, the Chairman said that it is a good omen for the project to achieve this milestone on Mohmand Dam at a time when the whole world is adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. He also thanked the Federal Government, Water Resources Ministry in particular, for their support in implementation of the project.
He expressed the hope that the project management would be able to complete Mohmand Dam on time together with their commitment and concerted efforts. The Chairman further said that the projects like Mohmand Dam are vital to thwart looming water crisis and meet energy requirements of the country with affordable and clean hydel electricity.
Earlier, Mohmand Dam General Manager & Project Director briefed the Chairman of the overall progress on the project. It was told during the briefing that construction work on as many as 10 sites is simultaneously underway on the project with a good pace. These sites include diversion tunnels, power intake and power waterway, spillway, re-regulation pond, excavation on switchyard, power house and main dam abutment, access roads and project colony.
It is worth mentioning that Mohmand Dam is being constructed on River Swat in District Mohmand of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the 5th highest concrete-face-rock-fill Dam (CFRD) in the world. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2025. On completion, the dam will store about 1.2-million-acre feet (MAF) of water and help mitigate floods in Peshawar, Charsadda and Naushera.
Besides supplementing 160,000 acres of existing land, about 18,237 acres of new land will also be irrigated. Mohmand Dam Power House will generate 800 megawatt (MW) hydel electricity, contributing 2.86 billion units of low-cost and environment friendly hydel electricity annually to the National Grid. 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.