HARIPUR: Civil works to plug the crater caused by the collapse of a weak rock mass at the intake pit of the Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project (T-5) are progressing around the clock, as engineers, contractors and project workers work to restore normal operations.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!According to official sources at the project site, teams are making efforts to complete the emergency repair work and resume routine construction activities as soon as possible, with the civil works and dewatering operations expected to take approximately one week.
The incident occurred on Monday morning when a weak rock mass collapsed during excavation of the Second Bench Connecting Tunnel, allowing water from the intake pit to flow into the tunnel and under-construction powerhouse area. All workers engaged in routine activities were immediately evacuated safely.
Officials said water from the intake pit had been completely drained, with no further inflow into downstream work areas. Dewatering of the under-construction powerhouse was also under way using heavy-duty pumping equipment.
Initial assessments indicated that the incident had not damaged the main tunnel, under-construction powerhouse, tailrace culvert or switchyard.
Following the incident, consultants, contractors and WAPDA officials jointly assessed the situation before launching concrete work to plug the affected opening. Project personnel have temporarily shifted their focus from routine construction activities to emergency repair and recovery operations.
A project source said that concrete filling and powerhouse dewatering were expected to be completed within a week, potentially allowing construction activities to resume.
Meanwhile, teams comprising seismology and geology experts, contractors, consultants and WAPDA officials are compiling progress and assessment reports every six hours for submission to relevant stakeholders.
The initial incident report has already been submitted to the WAPDA chairman and the Ministry of Water Resources, while a comprehensive report examining the causes and potential losses is expected to be submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office, the ministry and other concerned authorities.
According to the initial assessment by geologists from WAPDA and the contractors, there was no disruption or damage to the tunnel before or after the incident. The water diversion plug installed to channel water from the intake pit into the tunnel was also reported to be fully intact.
A project source attributed the incident to the failure of a weak rock mass located some distance behind the plug, claiming that there was no human error or engineering flaw involved. However, the final investigation report is expected to provide a more detailed assessment.
Aslam Adil, General Secretary of the Awami Labour Union at Tarbela Extension Projects IV and V, confirmed that round-the-clock work was continuing to fill the opening and dewater the powerhouse.
He said most of the approximately 3,000 workers engaged in the T-5 project had been asked to remain at home until further notice, while contractors had called only essential equipment operators, including dumper and crane operators, to the site.
The project administration is continuing emergency operations while awaiting the completion of technical assessments and restoration work.
Story by Muhammad Sadaqat
