Wapda chief assesses NJHP dam structure damage

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: In the wake of brutal attack by India on dam structure of 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project, Wapda Chairman Engr Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani (Retd) visited the dam site located at Nauseri near the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The visit was aimed at observing and assessing the damage done to the structures, installations and staff residential camp besides boosting the morale of Wapda officers and officials performing their duties at the Dam site. The project is non-operational since last year due to damage to the tunnel and work was in progress on its rehabilitation.

Acting Member Power Wapda and CEO Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Company Muhammad Arfan Miana, Chief Engineer/PD Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project and Chief Engineer (Operation and Maintenance) were also present on the occasion.

During the detailed visit of the Dam, De-sanders and Intake, the Chairman was apprised that the Indian shelling started at 1:15 a.m. on May 7, and continued for about six hours till 7:15 a.m. Consequently, hydraulic power unit 1 of intake gates was damaged in addition to reinforcement concrete structure at De-sander 1 and 3. Residential camp was also targeted including ambulance and medical facility. The Chairman was also briefed about the efforts made by the WAPDA officials for securing the critical equipment installed at the dam structure and the control room.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman strongly condemned the Indian attack on Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project, adding that international laws including protocol additional to the Geneva Convention 12 August 1949 do not allow an attack on water structures even during full-scale war between two states.

He also appreciated the courage and devotion of the WAPDA officers and officials in line of their duties.

Talking to media, Chairman Wapda stated India’s strike targeted not just the dam’s structure but extended ominously to the civilian neighborhoods nestled around it. It wasn’t merely about disrupting power; it was an assault on safety, a gamble with catastrophe. “The Neelum-Jhelum project holds a vast reservoir—an essential reserve for our energy needs. Damaging it could have triggered devastating floods, widespread power outages, and mass casualties,” he said.

As engineers in hard hats and military personnel assessed the impact, Wapda’s technical teams worked around the clock to inspect tunnels, turbines, and walls for signs of structural compromise. Despite the severity of the attack, a sliver of relief came from the fact that no lives were lost. “It could have been much worse,” the chairman admitted. “A breach in the reservoir might’ve drowned entire villages.”

The Indian strike, he asserted, was not just a military act—it was a violation of international humanitarian law. “Targeting civilians near a power facility violates every ethical and legal norm. This wasn’t a misfire. It was deliberate,” he said with conviction.

Although no foreign engineers were on site at the time, and WAPDA’s role remains confined to generation—not grid operations—concerns over broader vulnerabilities loomed large.

As he concluded his statement, the chairman praised Pakistan’s armed forces for their rapid and resolute response. “They acted swiftly to secure the area and prevent further escalation. But this aggression cannot go unanswered on the global stage,” he warned. “Targeting critical civilian infrastructure isn’t just an attack on Pakistan. It threatens the fragile balance of our region.”

Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project was completed in 2018 on River Neelum in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The Project comprises of three main components - a dam at Nauseri, an underground Waterway System consisting of 52-Km long tunnels and an underground Power House at Chattar Kalas. After its completion, the project contributed 19.562 billion units of green and clean electricity to the National Grid.