Kurram Tangi Dam project Stage-I to be completed in June 2023

ISLAMABAD: The Kurram Tangi Dam project’s Stage-I, being constructed in North Waziristan district of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, will be completed by June 2023.

During his visit to the project, Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd) urged upon the project management to expedite their efforts for the completion of Kurram Tangi Dam project’s Stage-I in accordance with the construction schedule and stipulated standard of work.

Highlighting the benefits relating to irrigation and power generation, he said, the project will help attain sustainable development through irrigated agriculture and the low-cost hydel electricity; thus, creating job opportunities and alleviating poverty in the remote and backward areas.

The Wapda chairman said water security is considered to be an integral part of human development the world over and that is why, Wapda has been constructing around a dozen of projects to tap the water resources to the maximum in the country and Kurram Tangi Dam is one of such projects.

Earlier, Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd) visited various components of the project, including weir (dam), irrigation system and the power houses. The project management briefed him about the progress made so far on Stage-I of the project.

Wapda has been implementing the Kurram Tangi Dam project in two stages. At present, the construction work is continuing on Stage-I, under which a weir (dam) has been completed near Spinwam, 28km from Mir Ali in North Waziristan.

The construction activities are also in progress on the irrigation system and small hydel power stations. On completion, the Stage-I of Kurram Tangi Dam project will irrigate 16,380 acres of land and generate around 19MW.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing $81 million as a grant, while Italian Corporation is chipping in $45 million as a soft loan to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government for command area development.

Frontier Works Organization (FWO) Director General (DG) Maj Gen Kamal Azfar accompanied the Wapda chairman during the visit.

Representatives of the consultants, the contractor and Wapda project management were also present on the occasion.