Roghun, also spelled Rogun in English, is a small industrial town in the Rasht Valley in southern Tajikistan. Home to less than 10,000 permanent residents, the town’s main claim to fame is the hydropower Rogun Dam that is still in the process of being built along the banks of the Vakhsh River. While it was initially planned by the Soviets way back in 1959, construction only started in the 1970s and the massive project was put on pause when the Soviet Union was disbanded in the 1990s.
After a series of false starts caused by politics, civil war, disagreements, a flooding disaster in 1993, and various funding issues, the Tajik government finally got the development going again in 2016 under control of an Italian company called Salini Impregilo. Having initially been turned down by the World Bank, Tajikistan sought the assistance of the Chinese regime to help fund the decades’ overdue project.
Now, over 40 years later, Roghun Dam has just two fully operational turbines out of the proposed total of six hydroelectric generating units that would provide a surging 3,600 megawatts of power in total. The primary turbine was custom-built in November 2018 and the second a year later. And that is not the only part that has not gone according to the original plans. As far as the dusty blueprints go, the completed hydropower plant was expected to be the highest dam in the world, measuring an impressive height of 335 meters tall and 660 meters wide. However, in reality, it is not likely to be nearly so high (it is currently only 75 meters tall) and further compromises are likely to be made to save on costs.
Located just over 100 kilometers from the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, Rogun, Tajikistan (Roghun in Tajik) was built for the original Soviet dam workers. Today, the town is a mere shell of its former self. Crumbling apartment buildings and abandoned factories line the streets in the town that lies nestled between the Alay Mountains and the Vakhsh River and the dam, while working, has miles (both physical and financial) to go before it is complete. The current deadline is set for 2029, but there is a possibility this may be extended.
The aim of the Tajik Roghun dam is to help boost the energy supply in all of Tajikistan, working alongside Norak Dam in southern Tajikistan to tackle the long history of power outages the country has faced over the previous years. Surplus electricity is hoped to be exported to neighboring countries such as Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, providing an extra source of income.
Within a two and a half hour drive from Dushanbe, you can easily visit the dam and Roghun, Tajikistan on a day trip from the capital. However, you can also combine your visit with some of the other attractions nearby, such as the hot springs and archaeological sites of the Khatlon Valley. Simply take a look at the tours and itineraries available with Paramount Journey or get in touch with our travel experts to plan your own.
