Indus River course diverted for Dasu Hydropower Project

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  • River is flowing through a 1.33-kilometre-long diversion.
  • Construction has started on starter dam.
  • WAPDA chief congratulates team on achieving landmark.


ISLAMABAD: The mighty Indus River was diverted successfully to one of the two temporary water-flowing tunnels in order to start construction on the Dasu Hydropower Project, The News reported on Monday.

Currently, the river is flowing through a 1.33-kilometre-long diversion 20 metres in width and 23 metres in height, instead of its natural course, according to the official statement issued by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

After the diversion, the construction has started on the starter dam which will culminate in the construction of the main Dasu Hydropower project.

Meanwhile, WAPDA Chairman Engineer Lt Gen. (retd) Sajjad Ghani has congratulated the project team on achieving this landmark.

Project Director Dasu Hydropower Project, representatives of the contractors and the consultants along with a number of engineers and workers witnessed the historic moment of the Indus River diversion.

The diversion system of the Dasu Hydropower Project comprises two tunnels — tunnel A and tunnel B. Of these, tunnel B is completed, which has the discharge capacity, sufficient to divert the water of the Indus River during the current lean-flows season, the press release stated. 

The 1.5 km long tunnel A, with 20m width and 23m height, will also be ready by mid-April this year to cater to the increased water flows during the high-flows season, it added. 

Dasu Hydropower Project is a vital component of the least-cost, green and clean energy generation plan of WAPDA. The project is being constructed across the Indus River, upstream of Dasu town in the Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). 

The 4,320 MW power project is planned to be completed in two stages. Presently, WAPDA is constructing its stage-I with an installed generation capacity of 2,160 megawatts (MW) and annual energy generation of 12 billion units. 

Stage-I of the project is likely to start electricity generation in 2026. The 2,160 MW stage-II, when implemented, will also provide 9 billion units to the national grid. 

On completion of both stages, Dasu will become the project with the highest annual energy generation in Pakistan i.e. 21 billion units per annum on average.