This, project officials said, means the project would meet its rescheduled deadline of mid-July.
The construction of 35.5m high and 26.7m wide dam began in November 2010 after the river was diverted to the diversion tunnel. Project officials said about 54,185cu.m of concrete was used to construct the dam.
Project deputy chief executive officer Sonam Wangdi said the river was diverted into the dam on 31 March. He said the diversion of the river into the dam would facilitate plugging off of diversion tunnel and testing hydro-mechanical gates before monsoon rains. The gates, Sonam Wangdi said, were installed to divert water and flood passage.
He said the remaining civil works at the intake site was the final lining of the 7.78km headrace tunnel. "We’re in the process of placing up concretes and spraying concretes," he said. "It’ll be complete by June."
Meanwhile, project’s chief executive officer Thinley Dorji said they also completed the construction of desilter, surge shaft, pressure shaft and underground powerhouse. "About 95 per cent of the works on installation of electrical and mechanical equipment are also completed," he said.
The project was scheduled to be commissioned in May, but after a portion of the tunnel collapsed on 5 January, it was rescheduled.
