Islamabad News--The Diamer Bhasha dam project is undoubtedly a landmark project in the historical process of Pakistan's energy transition and water resources management. Recently, Lieutenant General Mohamed Said (retired), Chairman of the Pakistan Water Conservancy Development Bureau, personally visited the project site and announced that the construction of the key rolled concrete (RCC) dam will be fully launched in early 2026, and the RCC test and excavation of the dam abutments and foundation pits will be completed before the end of this year. This trend marks the project about to enter a critical stage in the construction of the main dam, and also indicates that a new chapter in Pakistan's infrastructure modernization and sustainable development is about to begin.

The world's highest RCC dam: strategic positioning and engineering scale

Diamer Bhasha Dam spans the Indus River and is located 40 kilometers downstream of the town of Gilgit-Baltistanchilas, and its geographical location is extremely important. As the world's tallest rolled concrete dam, its dam height will reach 272 meters, with a total storage capacity of 8.1 million British square feet, and can irrigate 1.23 million acres of land.

In this on-site inspection, in addition to the chairman of WAPDA, Major General Abdul Sammy, Director General of Border Engineering Organization (FWO), CEO of Diamer Bhasha Dam Company, CEO of the project, CEO of the consulting group, and project managers of several consulting and contractors, showing the high attention of the project at the national level and the complexity of multi-departmental collaboration.

Lieutenant General Said inspected the key work areas such as crushing plants, diversion tunnels, dam foundation pits and dam shoulders, upstream and downstream cofferdams, left bank flushing tunnels, RCC test sections, batching plants, crushing tunnels, conveyor belt tunnels and other key work areas, and listened to the project team's report on the progress of the simultaneous construction of 13 different operating surfaces.

The Chairman asked the contractor to further increase personnel and equipment investment on the spot, emphasizing that "all tasks must be completed with high quality within the established time nodes." He also instructed the WAPDA team and the consulting consulting team to adopt proactive management methods to identify and resolve potential bottlenecks in a timely manner and ensure that the project is progressing on schedule. In addition, security measures have also been inspected to ensure the safety and stability of the dam construction and surrounding areas.

The combination of technological innovation and environmental protection concept

Diamer Bhasha dam uses rolled concrete (RCC) technology, which is the highest level of difficulty in the construction of high dams around the world. RCC technology has the advantages of fast construction speed, strong structural stability and short maintenance cycle, which helps ensure the safety and durability of the dam under complex geological and climatic conditions.

As the construction of the main dam is promoted, the project team also attaches great importance to environmental protection and ecological balance. For example, strict soil and water conservation and vegetation restoration measures are adopted during construction to reduce the impact on river water quality, fishery resources and surrounding ecosystems.

The completion of Diamer Bhasha dam will greatly enhance Pakistan's irrigation capacity. The total storage capacity is 8.1 million acres, and will continue to supply water to 1.23 million acres of land in major agricultural areas such as Punjab and Sindh, which is of great significance to ensuring food security, improving agricultural production capacity, and resisting extreme climates and drought disasters.

As one of Pakistan's largest and most complex infrastructure projects, the Diamer Bhasha Dam also faces many challenges. Complex geological structure, changeable plateau climate, huge funding, high difficulty in technology integration, and sensitive social resettlement are all problems that the project team needs to continue to deal with.

Green energy transformation and economic benefits

The transformation of the energy structure is the core task of Pakistan's economic modernization. Diamer Bhasha dam has an installed capacity of up to 4,500 megawatts, and supplies 18 billion kW of clean energy to the State Grid every year. It is expected to significantly reduce its dependence on fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, reduce power generation costs, and alleviate power shortages and peak load pressures.

In addition to macroeconomic benefits, the Diamer Bhasha dam also brings significant social dividends to local communities. WAPDA has invested Rs 78.5 billion for health, education and infrastructure construction in the project area, with particular attention to resettlement of residents displaced due to the construction of the dam.

In terms of employment, local labor will be given priority during the dam construction period, to drive the development of surrounding services, construction and logistics industries, and to promote the quality and efficiency of local economy. The Chairman also visited the newly built Chilas Military Academy, which was invested by WAPDA for Rs 2.1 billion, which is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative that not only improves local education but also enhances mutual trust and cooperation with the community.

Diamer Bhasha dam is not only a single infrastructure project, but also a national strategic pillar for Pakistan to achieve water security, energy independence and climate adaptability. After completion, it will improve the national water resource scheduling capacity, enhance the resilience of disaster prevention and mitigation and climate change response, laying a solid foundation for sustainable economic and social development in the next few decades.

The smooth progress of the Diamer Bhasha dam project not only demonstrates the leap in Pakistan's engineering technology and management capabilities, but also reflects the country's strategic vision for future water resources, food and energy security. With the joint efforts of WAPDA and various partners, this "super project" is expected to enter a new stage of main dam construction by early 2026.

As the chairman of WAPDA said, the Diamer Bhasha dam belongs not only to today's Pakistan, but also to future generations. "What we are building is not only a dam, but also a solid cornerstone for national prosperity and people's well-being." In the torrent of the new era, this great project is quietly changing the future of Pakistan.