PESHAWAR – A day after rock collapse sent water rushing into Tarbela Dam’s under-construction hydropower tunnel, water discharge is expected to exceed 150,000 cusecs over the next 24 hours, and PDMA has put Haripur, Swabi and Nowshera on alert, urging authorities to take immediate precautions.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued urgent alert to three districts as water discharge is expected to remain above 150,000 cusecs over the next 24 hours.
The warning comes just a day after a rock collapse at the multibillion-rupee hydropower expansion project allowed stored water to rush into an underground connecting tunnel and an under-construction powerhouse, triggering emergency safety measures at one of Pakistan’s most important water and electricity infrastructure facilities.
According to official advisory, PDMA directed the district administrations of Haripur, Swabi and Nowshera to immediately implement precautionary measures in anticipation of increased flows in the Indus River. The authority warned that discharge from Tarbela Dam could remain continuously above approximately 150,000 cusecs during the next 24 hours, requiring heightened vigilance in areas along the river.
District administrations have been instructed to take necessary steps to protect residents and ensure public safety as the situation develops. Although advisory calls for precautionary measures, authorities have not announced a general evacuation or confirmed widespread flooding in the affected districts.
The latest warning follows construction accident at the Tarbela Dam Fifth Extension Hydropower Project, commonly known as T-5, in Haripur district. According to Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), the incident occurred while workers were excavating the second bench of a connecting tunnel.
During the operation, a weakened rock mass suddenly collapsed, creating an opening through which water from the intake pit entered the connecting tunnel and the powerhouse construction area. The unexpected inflow prompted immediate emergency safety measures, with personnel evacuated from the affected construction zones.
Despite seriousness of the incident, WAPDA confirmed that all workers were successfully moved to safety and no loss of life was reported. The accident raised concerns about the condition of the ongoing hydropower expansion project, particularly as claims about major structural damage began circulating on social media.
As reports of the accident spread, social media platforms were flooded with claims suggesting that Tunnel No. 5 at Tarbela Dam had completely collapsed. WAPDA strongly rejected these claims, describing reports of a major tunnel collapse as misleading. The authority clarified that the accident involved a localized rock collapse during excavation work rather than the destruction of the dam’s main tunnel or critical infrastructure.
It further confirmed that the project’s main tunnel, under-construction powerhouse structure, tailrace culvert and switchyard remained safe. The clarification came amid growing speculation about the scale of the incident and its potential consequences for the hydropower project.
PDMA advisory has placed renewed attention on the volume of water being released from Tarbela Dam into the Indus River. With discharge expected to remain above 150,000 cusecs, authorities have emphasized the need for advance precautions in Haripur, Swabi and Nowshera.
The timing of the advisory, immediately following the construction accident, has heightened public concern. However, officials have not established that the incident itself caused the increase in downstream water releases.
The situation remains under official monitoring, with district administrations instructed to remain prepared as elevated water discharge continues over the next 24 hours.
Tarbela Dam Fifth Extension Project flooded after Rock Collapse
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