- Wapda chairman inspects intake structure, powerhouse.
- Water ministry seeks comprehensive report from Wapda.
- Inquiry into incident will be completed within week.
LAHORE: Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Lieutenant General (retd) Muhammad Saeed has ordered a departmental inquiry into the tunnel accident at Tarbela’s fifth extension project.
The chairman made the remarks during his visit to the Tarbela fifth extension hydropower project to review the situation after the accident and chaired a meeting at the project office.
Consultants, the contractor and Wapda teams briefed the meeting that there is no threat to the integrity of the main Tarbela Dam or any of its structures.
The meeting held a detailed discussion on the possible causes of the incident. Precautionary measures and the strategy for dealing with the current issue were also considered, and immediate response measures were finalised.
The chairman also toured the project’s intake structure, tunnel, powerhouse and other key sites. He directed the teams to cover all aspects and submit a detailed report at the earliest.
Ministry seeks report
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Water Resources said Wapda had been asked to submit a comprehensive report on the Tarbela Dam matter.
According to sources, the inquiry into the incident will be completed within a week. Experts from outside Wapda will also be included in the inquiry.
The sources added that responsibility will be fixed and the report will be submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office.
A day earlier, water entered a tunnel and the powerhouse at the dam’s 5th Extension Hydropower Project (T-5) construction site after a weak section of rock fell during excavation.
In a statement, Wapda confirmed that all workers had been safely evacuated following the water inflow incident.
A Wapda spokesperson had said the rock fell during excavation of the second bench of the connecting tunnel at the fifth extension project. Water then flowed from the intake pit into the tunnel and powerhouse, prompting the immediate evacuation of all workers.
The spokesperson said water had been completely drained from the intake pit and dewatering of the under-construction powerhouse had begun. No further water was entering the work sites on the downstream side, the spokesperson had added.
