PESHAWAR: Construction work on 10 key sites of the Mohmand Dam Project is progressing at a satisfactory pace, with overall project completion reaching around 50 per cent, the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) said on Monday.
Following the completion of pit excavation in mid-2025, rock fill work on the main dam has advanced to a height of 392 metres above mean sea level. Construction of the spillway has reached about 70 per cent completion, while structural works at the powerhouse have commenced after the successful completion of surface excavation and rock support for the power intake.
WAPDA said the detailed design of electro-mechanical equipment for the powerhouse has also been finalised, paving the way for the manufacturing phase.
Chairman WAPDA Lt Gen Muhammad Saeed (retd) reviewed the progress during his visit to the project site, where he was briefed by the project management on construction activities, timelines and upcoming milestones. He inspected work at all major components, including the main dam, spillway, powerhouse and quarry development area.
General Manager and Project Director Asim Rauf Khan, along with the project team, consultants and contractors, apprised the chairman of site-wise progress and targets, including key milestones planned for 2026. According to WAPDA, electricity generation from the project is expected to begin in early 2028 after completion of the main dam.
Following the site visit, the chairman held a detailed meeting with the project team, consultants and contractors. Emphasising the national importance of the project, he stressed that timely completion of Mohmand Dam was critical to meeting the country’s growing needs for water storage and affordable electricity.
He directed the contractors to expedite quarry development — a key factor in accelerating main dam construction — and to deploy additional resources to meet contractual timelines. The chairman also urged consultants to ensure strict implementation of the revised, resource-loaded construction schedule.
The Mohmand Dam Project is being constructed on the River Swat in Tribal District Mohmand of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. With a height of 213 metres, it will be the world’s fifth-highest concrete-faced rock-fill dam (CFRD). The dam will have a gross water storage capacity of 1.29 million acre-feet (MAF), enabling irrigation of 18,233 acres of new land in Mohmand and Charsadda, while supplementing water supplies to 160,000 acres of existing irrigated land.
The project will also help mitigate floods in Charsadda, Peshawar and Nowshera, and will supply 300 million gallons per day of potable water to Peshawar. With an installed generation capacity of 800 megawatts, Mohmand Dam is expected to add 2.86 billion units of clean and affordable hydropower to the national grid annually.
Beyond its strategic importance for water and energy security, the project is expected to spur socio-economic development in the remote areas of District Mohmand. Around 7,000 employment opportunities have been created during construction, with priority given to local residents, while Rs4.5 billion has been earmarked for development schemes in the project area as part of confidence-building measures.
