ISLAMABAD: Social media has been abuzz with false claims stating that work on the Mohmand Dam, a significant hydro-power complex being constructed in northwest Pakistan, has reached its final stages and will begin supplying electricity to the national grid from next year. However, official sources have debunked these claims, confirming that the construction of the Mohmand Dam is still ongoing and is expected to be completed by the year 2026 or 2027.
The claims have been circulating on various social media platforms, with users praising the purported achievement as one of Imran Khan’s great accomplishments. A Twitter account, in particular, garnered significant attention when it posted the misleading information, stating that 1,700 megawatts of cheap electricity would enter the system next year due to the dam’s completion.
https://twitter.com/J_SaqibNisar/status/1668559651246317569
However, the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), a government-run agency responsible for managing water and power resources, clarified the matter, sharing an official document and recent photographs of the Mohmand Dam site. According to the document, construction of the Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project began in May 2019 in the Mohmand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the Swat River.
False Claims About Mohmand Dam
The official document highlighted that construction work is still underway at 12 sites for the dam, and WAPDA is determined to complete the project by 2026-27, as per the PC-1 approved cost of Rs309.56 billion. The PC-1 of the project was approved on April 26, 2018. Once completed, the Mohmand Dam will have the capacity to generate 800 megawatts of electricity, contributing significantly to the country’s energy needs.
Furthermore, it was discovered that the images being shared alongside the false claims were not of the Mohmand Dam but were, in fact, pictures of the Hoover Dam located in the United States.
As social media continues to be a platform where misinformation spreads rapidly, it is essential for users to verify the accuracy of claims before sharing or believing them. The Mohmand Dam project remains a critical infrastructure development for Pakistan, contributing to its energy security, but it is important to recognize that the completion date is still several years away.
