LOCAL TRIBES JUBILANT; CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES IN MOHMAND DAM PROJECT AREA GAIN MOMENTUM WAPDA CHAIRMAN, LOCAL MNA, TRIBESMEN WITNESS WORK ON ACCESS ROADS

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May 31, 2019: The jubilation and festivity in the local tribes are on the rise, as construction activities in Mohmand Dam Project area, located in Tribal District Mohmand of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa gain momentum in the wake of project’s groundbreaking by the Prime Minister in first week of May.

WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd) and a jirga of area notables, headed by the National Assembly Member from tribal district Mohmand Sajid Khan, today visited project area to witness construction work on the permanent access roads on both banks of River Swat - one of the components of Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project. The 15.5-kilometer long road starting from Munda Headworks will provide access for construction of dam, spillway and irrigation tunnels. The project authorities and representatives of the contractor and consultants were also present on the occasion.

It is worth mentioning that WAPDA has already accomplished several activities relating to construction of the project including setting up of a weather station in the project area, installation of gauging instruments at the river to measure discharge of water and carrying out initial geo-tech boring for construction of the structures.

Speaking on the occasion, WAPDA Chairman said that Mohmand Dam Project will provide more than 6,000 job opportunities during construction. In addition to making lucrative compensation to the affectees for their land and assets, a sum of Rs.4.61 billion will also be spent for development of the project area as confidence building measures (CBMs) with special focus on education, health, water supply, roads, plantation and fish hatcheries. Besides development in the far-flung areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project will go a long way in stabilizing the national economy as it will help meet the ever increasing needs of water and electricity in the country.

Sharing his views, MNA Sajid Khan said that the tribal elders have come to the project area to express solidarity with Mohmand Dam Project, adding that tribes would continue providing their all-out-support till completion of the project. Terming Mohmand Dam ‘a dream come true’, he said that the locals will receive phenomenal gains with construction of the project in terms of social development, economic uplift, job opportunities and poverty alleviation.

Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project is historic and unique in nature being constructed after the delay of over five decades. The project is scheduled to be completed in five years and eight months. It will store about 1.2 million acre feet (MAF) of water, generate 800 megawatt (MW) of low-cost hydel electricity and help mitigate floods in Peshawar, Charsadda and Naushera. Besides supplementing 160,000 acres of existing land, about 16,700 acres of new land will also be irrigated because of Mohmand Dam. In addition, 300 million gallons water per day will also be provided to Peshawar for drinking purpose. Annual benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs. 51.6 billion.