Protective bund collapse halts Pakistan Tarbela-5 hydropower construction project
Pakistan's big Tarbela-5 Hydropower Project just ran into more trouble: a protective bund collapsed at Tunnel 5, triggering a sudden surge of water from the dam's reservoir and forcing all construction to stop.
Workers were safely evacuated, but the site is now on pause while things get sorted.
The project's main construction is being handled by China's Power Construction Corporation of China Limited (PCCCL).
Tarbela-5 cofferdam collapse sent costs soaring
This isn't the first time Tarbela-5 has faced issues.
Back in 2026, a cofferdam collapse (blamed on unauthorized design tweaks) sent costs soaring by more than 285%, with the budget jumping from PKR 82.36 billion to PKR 317 billion and pushing completion back to the end of June 2028.
The project is funded partly by major loans from the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and involves a team-up between Pakistan's WAPDA and several Chinese companies.