The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) submitted a revised project cost of Rs666 billion for the Mohmand Dam hydropower scheme to the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) this week. This new estimate represents a 115 percent increase over the past eight years.
In April 2018, authorities originally approved the dam's cost at Rs310 billion. The revised proposal adds Rs356 billion to the previous budget, with the power generation component now reaching Rs399 billion and construction costs estimated at Rs267 billion.
WAPDA stated that about 51 percent of the overall cost increase resulted from the depreciation of the rupee against the dollar. Construction work reached approximately 57 percent completion last month, with Rs275 billion already spent on the project.
China’s Gezhouba Group Company Limited is building the dam in a joint venture with Pakistan’s Descon Engineering Limited. The 2022 floods in the Swat River damaged the tunnels designed for water diversion.
The dam is expected to add 1.29 million acre-feet to the total water storage capacity of Pakistan. The target for completing the dam remains September 2025.
