Chairman WAPDA Lt Gen Muhammad Saeed (Retd) visited the Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project from November 9 to November 10 to review the situation following a tunnel incident. The visit included a detailed inspection of the project's intake structure, tunnel, power house, and other significant sites.
During the visit, the Chairman was briefed on the current situation and measures taken by the project's consultants, the contractor, and WAPDA project management. He subsequently presided over a meeting at the project office to discuss the possible causes of the incident.
The meeting involved deliberations on short-, medium-, and long-term preventive measures, as well as a strategy to address the current issue. Immediate response measures were finalized during this meeting and have since been initiated.
Consultants, the contractor, and WAPDA teams reached a unanimous assessment that there is no threat to the integrity of the main Tarbela dam or any of its critical structures at this time.
The Chairman ordered a departmental inquiry to probe the incident holistically and directed consultants to submit a detailed report on all aspects of the incident as soon as possible. He further instructed the consultants, contractor, and project team to execute remedial measures immediately and to finalize a contingency plan to minimize project completion delays.
The Ministry for Water Resources requested an initial assessment report, which WAPDA submitted on Tuesday. Minister for Water Resources Mian Muhammad Mueen Watto, who has been following the incident, was briefed in person by the Chairman on the details.
The 1530 MW-Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project is being constructed on Tunnel No 5 of Tarbela Dam with financial assistance from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
