WAPDA Chairman Inspects Diamer-Bhasha Dam’s New River Diversion System

Lt Gen (R) Engr. Sajjad Ghani, Chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), visited the Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project site to inspect the newly operational river diversion system.

Chairman WAPA’s visit follows the successful partial diversion of the River Indus at the project site, marking a significant milestone in the dam’s construction.

The diversion system, which has been in operation for a week, includes a one-kilometre-long diversion tunnel, a 0.857-kilometre-long diversion canal, and two coffer dams located upstream and downstream of the main dam site.

The system has enabled the partial diversion of the River Indus, allowing the river to flow mainly through the tunnel and canal while still partly following its natural course. The chairman was briefed about the test run of this system, which is functioning satisfactorily, and noted that construction work is proceeding smoothly across 13 different sites.

WAPDA is gearing up to achieve another landmark next week by plugging the upstream coffer dam, which will result in the River Indus flowing entirely through the diversion system, bypassing the main dam site.

The Diamer Bhasha Dam Project, situated 40 kilometres downstream of Chilas town, is a mega multipurpose project slated for completion in 2028. It boasts a gross water storage capacity of 8.1 million acre-feet (MAF) and will aid in irrigating 1.23 million acres of land. The project is also expected to generate 4,500 MW of power and produce 18 billion units of energy annually.

The Diamer Bhasha Dam is one of eight under-construction projects by WAPDA, scheduled for completion between 2024 and 2028-29. These initiatives will add approximately 10,000 MW of low-cost, environmentally friendly hydel electricity and store around 9.7 million acre-feet of water, underscoring WAPDA’s commitment to sustainable energy and water resource management.