Construction on the Tarbela Fifth Extension (T5) Hydropower Project was suspended on Monday after water flowed into Tunnel No. 5 at the site in Haripur district. All Pakistani and foreign staff were moved to safety, and no casualties have been reported. The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), which is building the project, said work will stay stopped while the cause is examined.
What happened at the site
According to WAPDA, a weak section of rock fell while workers were excavating the second bench of a connecting tunnel. The collapse let water from the intake pit flow into the tunnel and the area of the powerhouse that is under construction. Earlier reports had pointed to a crack in a protective embankment, but the authority's account describes a rock fall.
The Haripur Deputy Commissioner visited the site with rescue and administrative teams and confirmed that water had entered the tunnel. One Pakistani worker was swept away as the tunnel filled, but rescue teams saved him. WAPDA rejected reports that Tunnel 5 had collapsed.
Damage assessment and inquiry
WAPDA said the intake pit has been fully drained and water is still being pumped out of the powerhouse. No more water is entering the construction sites. The authority said the main tunnel, the powerhouse, the tailrace culvert and the switchyard were not damaged.
Senior WAPDA officials, project consultants and contractors are at the site reviewing safety measures and deciding on next steps. Officials have opened an inquiry, and a high-level committee will examine whether structural weakness or a technical fault caused the incident. Work will resume only on the basis of that committee's findings, and no restart date has been announced.
Project scale and earlier delays
The T5 project will add 1,530MW through three 510MW units, raising Tarbela's installed capacity from 4,888MW to 6,418MW. It is expected to generate an average of 1.347 billion units of electricity a year. The approved cost is $807 million, of which the World Bank is providing $390 million and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) $300 million. In May 2021, WAPDA awarded the $354.6 million civil works contract to Power Construction Corporation of China.
The project has already faced delays, and its completion deadline has been pushed to September 2027. In 2024 it ran into difficulties obtaining a No Objection Certificate, a formal clearance, from the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to close the tunnel. Work was also halted for a time in August 2025 when the reservoir level rose.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- May 2021: WAPDA awarded the $354.6 million civil works contract to Power Construction Corporation of China.
- 2024: The project faced difficulties in getting an IRSA No Objection Certificate to close the tunnel.
- August 2025: Work was halted for a time when the reservoir level rose.
- Monday, 9 November 2026: A rock collapse let water into Tunnel No. 5 and the powerhouse area, and work was suspended.
- September 2027: The current completion deadline for the project.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Tarbela ke T5 project mein chattan girne se paani surang aur powerhouse ke ilaqe mein aa gaya, is liye kaam roka gaya hai. Ek mazdoor paani mein beh gaya tha lekin use bacha liya gaya, aur koi jaan ka nuqsan report nahi hua. WAPDA ke mutabiq main tunnel ko nuqsan nahi pohncha, lekin kaam dobara kab shuru hoga yeh inquiry ke baad tay hoga. Is se bijli ki nayi supply mein deri ho sakti hai.
