DUSHANBE, December 5, Asia-Plus -- The construction of a new dam on the Vakhsh River for Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant may start only in February next year, Igor Kim, an engineer-in-chief for the construction of Sangutuda-1 power station, said in an interview with Asia-Plus. 

According to him, they are currently reviewing two versions of the upcoming construction works.  “Under the first version we fully complete concreting works in the drainage tunnels, which should take water in the case of damming the river, and only after that dam the river; in this case, the construction of the dam will start in February,” said Kim, “While under the second version we complete the main concreting works, that is just to concrete the bottoms of the tunnels, as it had been planned before, and dam the river by December 10, with parallel work on concreting the tunnels’ vaults.”  

According to him, they have not yet chosen what of these versions will be used.  “We have to date reached 70 percent of the preparatory works and it remains to concrete these two drainage tunnels and a water-intake facility,” Kim said, noting that they are undertaking efforts to do all works by the date fixed.   

We will recall that work on damming the Vakhsh River was postponed from November 30 to December 10 for some technical reasons.  

Most regions of Tajikistan''s have been hit by severe electrical power shortages since November 28.  These shortages are linked to the upcoming construction of the new dam of the Vakhsh River.