Emergency at Tarbela Dam T-5 Project as Safety Bund Breaches, Tunnel No. 5 Flooded; Construction Suspended Indefinitely

Tarbela Ghazi (Javed Iqbal Khan): An emergency situation developed at the Tarbela Fifth Extension (T-5) hydropower project after a safety bund breached, allowing a massive volume of water to enter Tunnel No. 5. The incident disrupted construction activities and forced authorities to suspend work on the project indefinitely.

The incident occurred on Monday, November 9, 2026, in the intake area of the T-5 project. Following the sudden influx of water, the flow inside the tunnel increased rapidly, creating an emergency situation. Fortunately, foreign and Pakistani personnel working for the Chinese construction company were evacuated to safer locations in time, preventing any loss of life.

Haripur Deputy Commissioner Wasim Ahmed, senior WAPDA officials and representatives of the civil administration and emergency response agencies rushed to the site to assess the situation and issue necessary instructions.

Deputy Commissioner Wasim Ahmed said the situation was fully under control and dismissed reports circulating on social media about the collapse of Tarbela Dam as baseless. He urged the public not to pay attention to rumours and to remain cautious.

According to WAPDA officials, the volume of water being discharged from the tunnel could exceed 150,000 cusecs and may continue flowing into the Indus River for up to 24 hours. Residents and members of the public have been advised to stay away from the riverbanks and avoid unnecessary movement near the watercourse.

This is the second major accident involving the T-5 project within a year. During the 2025 flood season, water released through Tarbela Dam’s service spillways breached a temporary protective bund, inundating the under-construction power house area.

The latest incident has raised concerns about substantial financial losses and further delays in the project. The causes of the safety bund failure and the extent of the damage are being assessed, while the resumption of construction work will depend on decisions by the relevant authorities.

The Tarbela Fifth Extension is one of Pakistan’s major hydropower development projects. It involves the installation of three generating units on Tunnel No. 5, each with a capacity of 510 megawatts, bringing the project’s total planned generation capacity to 1,530 megawatts.

In May 2021, WAPDA awarded the $354.6 million civil works contract to China’s Power Construction Corporation. Upon completion, the project is expected to increase Tarbela Dam’s installed power generation capacity from 4,888 MW to 6,418 MW and generate an additional average of 1.347 billion units of electricity annually.

Initially scheduled for completion within five years, the project has faced delays due to various reasons, with September 2027 set as its revised completion target. The latest accident has raised further questions about whether the project will meet its revised deadline.

3D Media