Mohmand Dam
The Project is expected to commence from November 01, 2017 to be completed after 5 years and 8 months i.e. June 2023, along with a one year Defect Notification Period and six months for closing of the Project. Overall, completion time is 7 years and 2 months, reported WAPDA. Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project is a multipurpose facility with the objective of hydropower generation of 800 MW, flood control, irrigated agricultural development of 6,773 hectares and a drinking water supply of 13.30 cumecs to Peshawar. The dam site is located on Swat River basin, about 48 km from Peshawar in Mohmand. The reservoir area of the dam extends upstream to Mohmand and Bajaur. The total length of the reservoir is about 56 km in the rocky gorge of Swat River.
The area is formed by barren and rugged hills and the command area is spread across administrative units; namely Mohmand, Tehsils Shabqadar and Tangi of district Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The total cost of the project including engineering and administrative cost, taxes, duties, interest during construction etc. is Rs 291.86 billion - Rs 224.24 billion is local funding and Rs 67.71 billion is foreign funding. The Project is proposed to be financed through 66 percent equity (WAPDA and PSDP) and 34 percent debt by Foreign Re-lent loans/ Supplier's Credit and CDL/ Local Commercial Loan.
The Dam, upon construction, will store approximately 1.3 million acre-feet of water and generate the most economical hydropower of 800 megawatts, thus helping to overcome the country's energy crisis. Additionally, the project will help irrigate nearly 17,000 acres of barren land, thus bringing a green revolution and prosperity in the area. The dam will be useful in controlling floods by averting flood damages downstream of the dam and also serve as a source of many job opportunities
unda Dam is a proposed multi-purpose concrete-faced rock-filled dam located on the Swat River approximately 37 km north of Peshawar and 5 km upstream of Munda Headworks in the Mohmand .
Once completed, the dam will generate 740 MW of hydroelectricity, irrigate 15,100 acres of land and control floods downstream.] It is expected to provide numerous estimated annual benefits including Rs. 4.98 billion in annual water storage benefits, Rs. 19.6 billion in power generation benefits by generating 2.4 billion units of electricity annually and Rs. 79 million in annual flood mitigation benefits.
Munda Dam is also expected to protect Nowshera and Charsadda districts from seasonal floods by storing peak flood water in its reservoir and releasing it in dry seasons. In December 2010, in the aftermath of the July 2010 floods in Pakistan, the Pakistan Supreme Court had constituted a flood inquiry commission to investigate the damage caused by the July floods that engulfed the country and caused unprecedented damage to life and property. In its report, the commission noted that if the Munda Dam had been constructed, there would have been minimal damage downstream in Charsadda, Peshawar and Nowshera districts and Munda Headworks.
The reservoir that will be created behind the dam would also provide recreational facilities and promote fisheries.
Salient features
Dam:
Type: Concrete-Faced Rock-Filled
Length: 2,500 ft (760 m)
Height: 698.82 ft (213.00 m)
Width: N/A
Reservoir Capacity:
Gross: 1.290 Million acre-feet (MAF)
Live: 0.676 MAF
Dead: 0.314 MAF
Flood: 0.081 MAF
Power Generation:
Maximum Capacity: 740 MW
Command Area:
Total: 15,100 Acres
Construction:
Construction Period: 7 years
The Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) is implementing a low-cost energy generation plan on priority to help reduce the electricity shortfall and increase the ratio of low-cost hydropower in the national grid.
Under the plan, 17 large projects are under construction or at the detailed engineering stage. These projects will generate more than 20,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity and store about 12 million acre feet (MAF) of water.
WAPDA Chairman Shakil Durrani expressed these views while presiding over a progress review meeting at the WAPDA House. WAPDA members and general managers also attended the meeting.
While emphasising the importance of hydropower to meet the electricity needs in the country, the chairman urged the project managers to complete these projects within the stipulated time.
It is pertinent to mention here that hydropower is the cheapest form of electricity generated through water. The average tariff for hydro electricity is Rs 1.54 per unit as compared to the overall electricity tariff of about Rs 9 per unit.
Earlier, the meeting was told that seven projects with a cumulative capacity of more than 1500 MW are under construction. Out of these, five projects of about 400 MW will be completed in the current year, while the 969 MW-Neelum-Jhelum and the 106 MW-Golen Gol hydropower projects are progressing at a good pace.
In addition, the
4500 MW Diamer Bhasha Dam with a gross storage capacity of 8.1 MAF and the 84 MW-Kurram Tangi Dam with a water storage capacity of 1.2 MAF have also been initiated. Besides, the 1410 MW-Tarbela 4th Extension and the 7100 MW-Bunji Hydropower Project will soon be available for initiating construction work, as the detailed engineering designs of the two projects are almost complete.
The meeting was also told that six mega projects are currently in the stage of their detailed engineering designs, including the 740 MW-Munda Dam multipurpose project with a storage capacity of 1.3 MAF, the 4320 MW-Dasu with storage capacity of 1.1 MAF, the 122 MW-Keyal Khwar and three other projects that will generate 1761 MW.
The meeting expressed satisfaction that the
Greater Thal Canal, Khan Khwar hydropower and Mangla Dam Raising projects have been completed during the last couple of years, while the Satpara Dam, Gomal Zam Dam and Jinnah Hydropower Project will be completed this year.
