The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) said in a press release on Tuesday that Tarbela Dam and its key structures remained safe, a day after a rockslide at the 5th Extension Project (T-5) site caused a sudden flow of water into nearby construction areas.
The incident occurred on Monday when a large mass of rock collapsed at the T-5 construction site. Authorities declared an emergency, halted construction activities and instructed workers to relocate to safer locations. No casualties were reported.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Wapda said Chairman retired Lt Muhammad Saeed visited the site on both Monday and Tuesday to assess the situation following the incident.
“The chairman visited … the intake structure, tunnel, power house and other important sites of the project. The consultants, contractor and Wapda project management briefed him on the current situation and the measures taken so far,” it said.
The Wapda chairman subsequently chaired a meeting at the project site, where officials examined the potential reasons behind the incident, according to the statement.
“Short-, medium- and long-term preventive measures to handle such situations and strategies to address the current issue were deliberated upon. Immediate response measures were also finalised and their execution initiated,” it said.
“However, the consultants, contractor and Wapda teams were unanimous in their assessment that, as of now, there is no threat to the integrity of the main Tarbela dam or any of its critical structures,” the statement said.
The press release added that the Wapda chairman instructed the consultants to prepare and submit a comprehensive report on all aspects of the incident as soon as possible. He also directed the consultants, contractor and Wapda project team to implement corrective measures without delay and complete a contingency plan to limit any impact on the project’s overall completion timeline. Additionally, he ordered a departmental investigation into the incident.
“The Ministry for Water Resources had also sought an initial assessment report of the incident from Wapda, which has been submitted today,” it said, noting that Water Resources Minister Mian Muhammad Mueen Watto had also received a briefing from the Wapda chairman.
Meanwhile, Wapda engineers and technical staff continued repair and restoration work on the damaged sections of the project on Tuesday, officials said.
“The public should know that the situation is completely under control and no one should worry about the incident,” Swabi Deputy Commissioner Nasarullah Khan said.
He added that he, the Haripur deputy commissioner and relevant officials were managing the situation through a coordinated approach.
DC Nasarullah further stated that WAPDA’s technical team had approved the increase in downstream water flows in the Indus River as part of safety and technical arrangements.
In a separate statement, an official present at the project site advised the public to ignore unverified reports and rely solely on information shared through official channels.
