Flood delays Mohmand Dam by one year

ISLAMABAD: In the wake of devastating floods, the Mohmand Dam’s completion, which is under construction in KPK, has been delayed by one more year. Its cost overrun is estimated to increase by Rs20-25 billion. This is because the coffer dam constructed for diversion tunnel had breached when the Swat River faced high flows after unprecedented heavy rains, senior officials at WAPDA and Ministry of Water Resources said.

With the breach of cofferdam, the under-construction diversion tunnel also sustained huge damage. According to the PC-I, they said, the Mohmand Dam was to be completed and commissioned in December, 2025 at the cost of Rs311 billion. But because of the flood that also hit the coffer dam and diversion tunnel, the cost of the project is estimated to increase by Rs20-25 billion following the cost escalation to be incurred on purchase of material and required items during the period of one more year. The construction work on the dam began on September 20, 2019.

“Investigation has begun to know the reasons why the coffer dam had breached and if the quality of the dam was not up to the mark. A probe has been kick-started on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The premier had issued these directions when he visited the site of Mohmand Dam when the flood roiled Munda Headworks and inflicted damage to the under-construction Mohmand Dam.”

The officials said that the Swat flood was unprecedented in its nature because of the cloud burst and heavy rains, so the breaching of coffer dam and damage to the diversion tunnel was quite natural. They said that because of the flood calamity of high intensity, it shouldbe declared not less than a force majeure. If force majeure is declared, then the construction companies working in Mohmand Dam and the executing agency Wapda will not be able to penalise each other and both will not be held responsible for the damage. However, the cost overrun will be borne by the government.

Once the Mohmand Dam gets completed, it will not only help mitigate floods’ adverse impacts but will also help irrigate 16,737 acres in KPK. Apart from it, the dam will also generate cheaper electricity of 800 MW.