PAKISTAN

WATER AND POWER DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

NARTHING MADAN HYDROPOWER PROJECT

NOVEMBER, 2017
HYDRO PLANNING WAPDA
SUNNY VIEW ESTATE, LAHORE
 Narthing Madan Hydropower Project
Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
(Hydroplanning)

Table of Contents
List of Figures ......................................................................................................................................... ii
List of Photographs ............................................................................................................................... iii
1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
2 Regional Geology ........................................................................................................................... 1
3 Regional Tectonics.......................................................................................................................... 4
4 Regional Faults ............................................................................................................................... 5
5 Structure of the Project Area ........................................................................................................... 5
6 Geology of the Project Area............................................................................................................ 7
6.1 Lithological Units ................................................................................................................... 7
6.1.1 Soil Units ........................................................................................................................ 7
6.1.2 Rock Unit ........................................................................................................................ 7
7 Geology and Different Proposed Structures ................................................................................... 8
7.1 Dam Site.................................................................................................................................. 8
7.2 Spillway .................................................................................................................................. 9
7.3 Intake Tunnel .......................................................................................................................... 9
7.4 Powerhouse ............................................................................................................................. 9
7.5 Tailrace Tunnel ..................................................................................................................... 10

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Narthing Madan Hydropower Project
Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
(Hydroplanning)

List of Figures
Figure 1 Project location map ................................................................................................................. 2
Figure 2 Regional tectonic map of Northern area of Pakistan......................................................... 6
Figure 3 A view of Narhting Madan Hydropower Project ............................................................ 10

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Narthing Madan Hydropower Project
Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
(Hydroplanning)

List of Photographs
Photograph 1 A view of Narthing Madan Dam site................................................................................ 9
Photograph 2 A view of power house area, spillway and dyke ..................................................... 10

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Narthing Madan Hydropower Project
Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
(Hydroplanning)

1 Introduction
Narthing Madan Hydropower Project is proposed on Indus River near Yadgaar.e.Shuhadah in
the vicinity of Thorgo-Madan area. The Dam site is located about 3-4 Km upstream of
Thorgo Village near Shigar valley bridge, on Indus River, along Skardu-Ganche road, Gilgit
Baltistan. A rock and Earth fill dam of about 80-100m in height, has been proposed on Indus
River with generation capacity of about 800MW. The coordinates of the Dam site are
Latitude 35 20.12 44 N and Longitude 75 47.40 96 E with elevation of 2225m from the
Indus River bed.

The Dam site is located about 22 Km from Skardu city along Skardu-Ganche metalled road
(Figure 1). The site is accessible by road as well as by air from Islamabad. The site is
reachable from Islamabad by covering a distance about 820 Km through Karakorum
Highway (KKH) and Giligit-Skardu road.

The site is located at the northern margin of Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc (KLIA) just south
of Karakoram block and south-east of Shigar valley which is characterized by the rocks of
both Karakorum block and the Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc (KLIA) with the intervening
northern or Shyok Suture Zone. The site exists in metamorphic as well as igneous terrain
mainly consists of diorites, metadiorites/Amphibolites with different types of schists,
indicating different grade of metamorphism. The overburden material consists mainly of
Angular Boulders Gravel with Sand and appreciable amount of fines (ABGM) on both side
slopes and Rounded Boulders Gravel with Sand and appreciable amount of fines (RBGM) in
the River bed.

This report is about the geological aspects relating the different structures of Dam as well as
Powerhouse site based on reconnaissance visit in Thorgo-Madan area, near Shigar valley,
Skardu. The valley is tectonically as well as structurally controlled. The topography of the
valley indicates that it is basically glacier originated valley, modified later on by Indus River.

2 Regional Geology
The Northern areas of Pakistan consists of three Geological domains, namely 1) Indo-
Pakistan Plate, 2) the Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc (KLIA) and the Eurasian Plate (including
the micro Karakorum Plate).

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Narthing Madan Hydropower Project Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
(Hydroplanning)

Figure-1 Project Location Map

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Narthing Madan Hydropower Project Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
(Hydroplanning)

The project area lies in the Northern edge of Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc (KLIA) bounded in
north by Karakorum Block, separated by Main Karakorum Thrust (MKT) / Shyok Suture
Zone (SSZ). To the south of Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc (KLIA), meta-sediments of Indian
plate, intruded by granitoid/granites and separated by Main Mantal Thrust (MMT) is present.
The northern side of the project area showing the back arc basin condition, as indicated by
presence of meta-sediments of different metamorphic grades.

The project area lies about 2-3 km, south-east of Shigar River. The Shigar valley occupies
partly southern margin of the micro-Karakorum plate and partly on northern margin of the
Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc (KLIA). The Main Karakorum Thrust (MKT) or the Northern
Suture Zone (NSS) is passing from the center of this valley. The rocks of the micro-
Karakorum plate are thrusted over the metasedimentary and meta-igneous rocks of the
Kohistan-Ladakh Isand Arc (KLIA). Igneous activity of various episodes also occurred in
this region and its surroundings and as a result various small and large plutonic bodies of pre-
and post-collision are exposed on both, the north and south of the Shigar valley (M. Tahir
Shah & Tahseenullah Khan, 2004). The meta-volcanic rocks of the Rakaposhi Volcanic
Complex of Tahirkheli (1982), locally known as Shigar volcanic are also present in the
valley. The plutonic rocks have been metamorphosed to amphibolite facies on both sides of
the suture zone except the late stage pegmatites. Serpentinite pods are also exposed in the
vicinity of the suture zone.

The oldest rock sequence, mostly composed of interbedded clastic and carbonate meta-
sediments, of Permo-Carbonifeous age (Hanson, 1989), belongs to the Asian Plate. This
formation has faulted contact along the Northern Suture, over the Bauma-Harel Formation of
Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc (Hanson, 1989).

Two Katzarah and Baum-Harel formations along with some isolated deformed granodiorite
of the Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc are present in the Shigar valley. The Katzarah formation
is an extensive unit of high grade meta-sediments, exposed in the Indus valley and in the
lower Shigar valley.

The Bauma-Harel formation of Cretaceous age consisits of volcano-clastic sediments that

have been metamorphosed to chlorite-epidote green schist grade and are interbedded with
slates, phyllite, and minor carbonate layers Desio (1963). The contact between the Katzarah
formation and the Bauma-Harel formation is depositional rather than tectonic whereas the

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Narthing Madan Hydropower Project Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
(Hydroplanning)

northern suture is present on the northeast side of the Bauma-Harel formation. The volcanic
of this formation are correlated with the Rakaposhi Volcanics of Tahirkheli (1982).

3 Regional Tectonics
Before the Northward flight of the Indian Plate, small continental pieces (simarids i.e.
Karakoram block) were broken up from the Northern edge of Gondwanaland and welded
with the southern edge of Eurasian plate, consuming the old Tethey and opening the Neo
Tethey, forming the Main Karakoram Suture (MKT), (Tapponnier, 1975, 1977; Molnar,
1977a).

In general, due to the subduction of the oceanic part of the Indian Plate beneath the Eurasian
Plate, the Island Arc emerged in Middle Cretaceous age. The Arc Complex consists of Calc-
Alkaline plutonic rocks mainly mafic in nature. The presence of the Blue Schist
Metamorphism in Swat and Shangla area indicates the trench environment.

The collision of the Indian and Asian plates has been described as a head on north-south
collision (Shackleton and Ries, 1984). This is generally accepted by many workers to have
occurred in Eocene times (55-40Ma) (Powell, 1979; Klootwijk et al, 1979; Dewery et al,
1988; Treloar and Coward, 1991; Serrle et al, 1987, 1988). The terminal collision between
Indian and Asian Plates is suggested to have occurred between 45-40 Ma (Molnar and
Tapponnier, 1975; Klootwijk et al, 1985). It is generally agreed however, that by 55Ma, the
Kohistan Island Arc was already sutured to the Asian Plate, probably since the Late
Cretaceous, forming the Main Mantle Thrust (MMT) zone. This is confirmed by the presence
of 85-80 Ma thermal event at this time (Treloar and Rex, 1990).

The rocks of Shyok suture zone are interpreted to represent the tectonised remainder of a
marginal basin. The closure of the marginal basin occurred at the Eocene-Oligocene time
boundary, and crustal shortening was responsible for generation of Neogene 2-mica granites
of the Karakoram plutonic complex and regional metamorphism of the Pangong Tso group
(V.C Thakur, D.K. Misra, 2007).

The collision between the Indian Plate and Kohistan Island Arc is recognized as when the
Tethyan Ocean disappeared and the continental masses docked. The collision is associated
with a 35 anticlockwise rotation of the Indian Plate relative to Eurasia.

After the collision, due to further Northward subduction of the Indian Plate, still active 2-
2.5mm/yr, the stresses were accommodated by the imbricate thrust faults from North to South

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Narthing Madan Hydropower Project Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
(Hydroplanning)

(Treloar et al, 1989), named, Main Central Thrust (MCT), Panjal Thrust (PT), Main
Boundary Thrust (MBT), Kashmir Boundary Thrust (KBT)/ Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT)
and Salt Range Thrust(SRT).

4 Regional Faults
The major regional faults of the region include, from north to south (Figure 2), are as
follows;

Main Karakoram Thrust (MKT).

Main Mantle Thrust (MMT).
Main Central Thrust (MCT).
Thakot Shear Zone/Thakot Fault (TSZ).
Panjal Thrust (PT).
Main Boundary Thrust (MBT).
Kashmir Boundary Thrust (KBT)/ Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT)
Salt Range Thrust (SRT).

The general trend of these faults excluding TSZ is predominantly east-west with change in
trend due to syntaxial bends.

5 Structure of the Project Area

The project area lies near the northern margin of the Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc (KLIA)
which is separated in the north by Main Karakorum Thrust (MKT) from the Karakorum
block. The geology of the Thorgo-Madan area is quite diverse. Rock is exposed on both sides
of the Indus River but at right side, a low elevation ridge is exposed. The outcrops of rock,
which is most probably Dioritic in nature, are present but sheared at places.

Near the Nurhbhu Chung village at right side, Indus River change its course and turn at 90.
Thick deposits of rounded boulders gravel with sand and appreciable amount of fines
(RBGM) is present which indicating the old channel of Indus River. These small ridges of
dioritic gneiss in scatter form indicate that some local faults/shear zones are passing / cutting
through these units.

On left side of the river in the rare of Thorgo village, a NE trending fault F1 with dip in SE
direction is present at high reaches where sheared/crushed rock causes rock fall/sliding. The
active slides lie about 1 km downstream of proposed structure.

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Narthing Madan Hydropower Project Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
(Hydroplanning)

Figure-2 Regional tectonic map of Northern area of Pakistan

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Narthing Madan Hydropower Project Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
(Hydroplanning)

Another fault F2 cross cutting the Indus River near Skardu-Shigar Bridge is present. At right
side two faults F3 and F4 are present. F3 is NW trending and NE dipping fault present at high
reaches while F4 is NW trending and SW dipping fault is present. Due to these faults rock is
sheared and some active slides develops. These faults join with F1 at left side after crossing
the river. Many active slide originate in this area due to crushing of rock.

All the faults along both sides seem to be the splays of Main Karakorum Thrust (MKT),
passing through Shigar valley, along Shigar River. MKT is passing about 3 to 4 Km north of
project area. Tectonically this area seems to be active as active slides, disturbed slopes are
observed in this area. The Angular boulders and gravel with sand and appreciable amount of
fines (ABGM) on both side slopes seems to be originated from crushed rock/fault breccias
present at river side slopes.

6 Geology of the Project Area

The subject report is based on the reconnaissance visit in the project area.

6.1 Lithological Units

6.1.1 Soil Units

The various soil units present in the project area are described below: -

6.1.1.1 Angular Boulders Gravel with Sand and appreciable amount of Fines (ABGM)
Most of the slopes are covered by material comprising of angular boulder gravels with sand
and appreciable amount of fines. This is colluvial material broken from sheared rock/fault
breccias lying, mostly along the both sides slope of Indus River.

6.1.1.2 Rounded Boulders Gravels with Sand and appreciable amount of Fines
(RBGM)
It consists of the alluvial material comprising of rounded to sub rounded, loose to very loose
boulders and gravels with sand and appreciable amount of fines. It is present mostly on the
right side in the old river channel while some are present along the left side of the Indus
River.

6.1.2 Rock Unit

The rock unit mostly exposed in the project area is probably Diorite Gneiss / Amphibolite
which is part of Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc (KLIA) intruded by pegmatite veins at places.
Some exposure of Graphitic Schist is present at high reaches on the left side of Indus River.

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Narthing Madan Hydropower Project Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
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A brief description of these rock units are given as: -

6.1.2.1 Diorite Gneiss

It is dark gray to gray color, weathers to grayish brown, medium to coarse grained, foliated,
hard, slightly to moderately weathered, moderately to highly jointed but sheared at places. It
is intruded by Amphibolites/dolerites dykes ranging in size from few mms to 6cm cross cut
by pegmatite veins at places. The rock is exposed on both side of the project area but at right
side, scattered, small ridges of low altitudes are present.

6.1.2.2 Graphitic Schist

It is dark grey to blackish grey in color, weathers to blackish grey, fine grained, giving shiny
surface while expose to sunlight, foliated, loose to moderately hard, highly jointed. It leaves
black mark on rubbing due to presence of carbonaceous material. The schist is highly sheared
and present at high elevation at left side along fault F1and breakdown to form an active slide.

7 Geology and Different Proposed Structures

On the basis of reconnaissance visit, the geological conditions at various engineering
structures proposed for Narthing Madan Hydropower Project has been described below: -

7.1 Dam Site

River valley at proposed Dam site is about 800m wide at the crest level. A rock and earth fill
dam with height of about 80 to 100m has been suggested for feasibility study (Figure 3). The
Dam has to abut on both sides with Diorite Gneiss having some shear zones at places due to
which some small slides are present along these shear zones (Photograph 1). The rock at
Dam site is moderately to highly jointed.

At right side of River, a dyke is proposed, where a gulley is developed along the old channel
of river (Photograph 2). Thick deposit of rounded boulders gravel with sand and appreciable
amount of fines (RBGM) with small outcrops (ridges) of sheared Diorite Gneiss are present.

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Narthing Madan Hydropower Project Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
(Hydroplanning)

Photograph-1 A view of Narthing Madan Dam site.

7.2 Spillway
The spillway structure is proposed on right side of Indus River near the old river channel
along the dyke (Photograph 2). Scattered rock hillocks of dioritic gneiss are present in this
vicinity. A spillway will be proposed at right side of Indus River just downstream of Narh
Chung village, which spill its water may be along old river channel and drain into Indus
River.

7.3 Intake Tunnel

The intake tunnel is proposed at left side in Diorite Gneiss where competent rock is exposed
(Figure 3). The rock is moderately jointed but highly jointed at places. Some local shear
zones are also present at places.

7.4 Powerhouse
The power house cavern is proposed at left side of the Indus River in Diorite Gneiss which is
moderately jointed with some local shear zones at places. The underground powerhouse
seems to be more stable and will be safe in this area (Photograph 2). Another option for
open power house is also under consideration. The final option will be adopted in feasibility
study.

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Narthing Madan Hydropower Project Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
(Hydroplanning)

Dyke and Spillway

Intake Tunnel
Dam Axis

Powerhouse

Figure-3 A view of Narhting Madan Hydropower Project

Dyke and Spillway

Powerhouse

Photograph-2 A view of power house area, spillway and dyke.

7.5 Tailrace Tunnel

After power generation, the water will drain into Indus River through tailrace tunnel. It will
mostly excavate through rock dioritic gneiss.

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