WAPDA chief reviews progress of Dasu main dam

ISLAMABAD :Chairman WAPDA Lt Gen Muhammad Saeed (Retd) during his visit to under construction Dasu Hydropower Project was briefed that excavation of the main dam pit (foundation) area will be completed in January 2026, followed by the roller-compact-concrete (RCC) trial, to be completed in next two to three months. Subsequently, RCC works on the Main Dam will start during the second quarter of 2026.
Chairman WAPDA reviewed construction progress on key work fronts including main dam pit area, crushing and batching plants, power house and transformer caverns, Logro tunnel and Barseen bridge of relocated Karakorum Highway (RKKH-1).
GM/PD Dasu Hydropower Project and Project Managers of the consultants and the contractors were also present on the occasion.
During on-the site briefings, the Chairman was appraised that construction activities are in progress on 20 work fronts side by side. A number of major milestones have already been achieved which included river diversion system, excavation of main switch yard for 765 KV transmission line, excavation of right and left abutments of the main dam, project colony (phase-A), land acquisition etc. It was further briefed that excavation works of the under-ground power house is scheduled to be completed in February 2026; while 20.4 Km-long RKKH-1, comprising 7 tunnels and 3 bridges, is nearing completion, and will be opened for traffic by June 2026. WAPDA is constructing RKKH in the project area as part of Dasu Hydropower Project and in accordance with the CPEC standards.
Underlying the significance of Dasu Hydropower Project for improving the energy mix in favour of clean, green and affordable electricity in the country, the Chairman directed the contractors and consultants with an intent to make up for time lost due to security and law and order issues to accelerate construction work. All stakeholders working on the project emphasized the critical role of local administration and police for ensuring continuity of work at all sites which interrupted very frequently due to protests and road block.
The Chairman also inaugurated arch portion of Barseen bridge, which is the longest arch bridge in Pakistan. Security arrangements in the project area were also reviewed in detail during the visit.
WAPDA is also implementing local area development programme, comprising 69 schemes of infrastructure and public health worth billions of Rupees for socio-economic empowerment of the local populace. Of these, 28 schemes have so far been completed, while rest are in progress.
It is important to note that the 4320 MW-Dasu Hydropwer Project is planned to be completed in two stages. At present, WAPDA is constructing Stage-1 with installed capacity of 2160 MW and annual generation of 12 billion units low-cost and environment-friendly electricity. World Bank is providing financial assistance worth US$ 1.57 billion for the Stage-1, which is likely to start electricity generation in December 2027. The Stage-2, when implemented, will also provide 9 billion units per annum to the National Grid. On completion of both stages, Dasu will become the project with highest annual energy generation in Pakistan i.e., 21 billion units on the average.