From Daily Times · Sajid Salamat · · 1m 40s
Rock mass collapse floods Tarbela Dam extension works
Water enters Tarbela Dam 5th Extension tunnel after rock fall during excavation.
In brief
Water enters Tarbela Dam 5th Extension tunnel after rock fall during excavation. A rock mass collapse at Tarbela Dam 5th Extension project flooded construction sites, evacuating workers and delaying completion by two years with cost escalation to Rs317bn. Originally reported by Daily Times.
Rock mass collapse at Tarbela Dam
Water entered a tunnel and the powerhouse of Tarbela Dam 5th Extension Hydropower Project construction site after a weak section of rock fell during excavation on Monday.
Workers evacuated safely
All workers were immediately evacuated following water inflow incident after rock fell during excavation of the second bench of the connecting tunnel.
Water drainage progress
Water had been completely drained from the intake pit and dewatering of the under-construction power house had begun with no further water entering downstream sites.
WAPDA confirms no structural damage
WAPDA spokesperson stated the project’s main tunnel, under-construction power house, tail race culvert, and switchyard suffered no damage despite reports of collapse.
Protective embankment breach
A part of the protective embankment at the T5 project intake broke after a girder fell, submerging one local worker who was pulled out by locals.
Work suspended indefinitely
Work at the Tarbela T5 project in Haripur had been suspended for an indefinite period after the incident.
Downstream discharge notification
WAPDA issued a notification that discharges downstream of Tarbela Dam in the Indus River will exceed 150,000 cusecs round the clock.
Project cost and timeline impact
The collapse contributed to a two-year delay and more than 285 per cent cost escalation from Rs82 billion to Rs317bn, pushing completion from June 2026 to end of June 2028.
The one thing
A rock mass collapse at Tarbela Dam 5th Extension project flooded construction sites, evacuating workers and delaying completion by two years with cost escalation to Rs317bn.
