Chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Naveed Asghar Chaudhry, visited the Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project site on Thursday to review ongoing construction progress on the strategic multipurpose development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mohmand tribal district.
Accompanied by Member (Water) Syed Ali Akhtar Shah, the chairman inspected multiple active work fronts, including the powerhouse, spillway, diversion system, dam foundation, and power intake zones, according to an official press release.
The WAPDA chairman expressed satisfaction over the advancement of civil works and confirmed that construction on the main dam structure commenced in May 2025. This milestone followed the successful completion of several critical preparatory tasks such as the excavation of dam abutments, river diversion tunnels, dam plinth, and the coffer dams upstream and downstream.
Project authorities briefed the chairman that construction activity is currently progressing simultaneously at 14 different locations. They reported that work on the powerhouse structure has begun, electro-mechanical equipment is in the advanced stages of manufacturing, and the spillway construction is moving ahead of schedule.
The Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project, which is scheduled to begin power generation in 2027, is a flagship initiative with far-reaching benefits. With a height of 213 meters, it ranks as the fifth tallest concrete-faced rock-fill dam (CFRD) in the world. The dam will have a gross storage capacity of 1.29 million acre-feet (MAF), enabling irrigation of 18,233 acres of new farmland in Mohmand and Charsadda, while enhancing water supply to another 160,000 acres under the existing command areas of the Lower Swat and Doaba Canals.
Upon completion, the project will provide 800 megawatts of installed power capacity and is expected to inject 2.86 billion units of clean, renewable hydel electricity into the national grid annually. Additionally, it will significantly aid in flood mitigation for downstream districts including Peshawar, Charsadda, and Nowshera, while also supplying 300 million gallons per day of potable water to Peshawar.
Chairman Chaudhry emphasized the importance of timely completion, urging contractors and consultants to maintain momentum and adhere strictly to the construction schedule, given the project’s critical role in national energy security, water management, and agricultural development.
