Tarbela reservoir operation monitored

LAHORE
Wapda Chairman Zafar Mahmood witnessed operating mechanism of Tarbela reservoir during the on-going high-water-flows season and review construction work on the 1410 MW-Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project.
Tarbela Dam General Manager Iqbal Masood Siddiqui, Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project Director Sohail Khan and representatives of the consultants accompanied him during the visit. Jiang, Vice Chairman, M/s Synohydro, who had come from China to review the progress was also present on the occasion. The chairman visited main dam, spillways and the reservoir. He had a round of the various construction sites of Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project in addition to visiting Tarbela Hydel Power Station.
Speaking on the occasion, the chairman directed the GM to strictly adhere to the standard operating procedure (SOP), which has been devised for release of water downstream Tarbela dam during flood seasons. Close coordination with all stakeholders must also be maintained for the purpose, he added.
Reviewing construction work on Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project, the Chairman emphasised the need for timely completion of the project to fully utilise the high flow season of 2017. He directed the project authorities to expedite their efforts to commission the project by 2017 in accordance with the acceleration programme of the project being implemented by Wapda on the directives of the PM for completion of the project ahead of its schedule.
He asked the officers concerned to closely monitor the timelines of the acceleration programme, besides ensuring the prescribed construction standards of the project. Highlighting significance of the project, the chairman said that Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project will not only help reduce electricity shortages in the country but also provide relief to the people by inducting low-cost hydel electricity to the national grid.
Earlier, Tarbela Dam Project GM briefed the Chairman about the operational mechanism of the reservoir. He apprised the chairman about the overall progress on Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project with special reference to the acceleration programme. It is pertinent to mention that Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project will increase the generation capacity of Tarbela Hydel Power Station from 3478 MW to 4888 MW, after installation of three units, with installed capacity of 470 MW each, on Tunnel 4.
The World Bank is providing US $ 840 million for construction of the project. On completion, Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project will add about 3.84 billion units of low-cost electricity to the national grid per annum. Annual benefits of the project have been estimated at about Rs 30.7 billion. The project will pay back its cost in just three years.