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

Kurram Tangi Dam Project’s Stage-I, being constructed in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, will be completed by June 2023, Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd) said during his visit to the project on Tuesday. 

The chairman, according to a press release, urged upon the project management to expedite their efforts for completion of Kurram Tangi Dam Project’s Stage-I in accordance with the construction schedule and stipulated standard of works.

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

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

Earlier, WAPDA Chairman visited various components of the project including weir (dam), irrigation system and the power houses.

The project management briefed the Chairman of the progress made so far on Stage-I of Kurram Tangi Dam Project. 

It is worth mentioning that Wapda has been implementing Kurram Tangi Dam Project in two stages.

At present, construction work is continuing on Stage-I, under which a weir (dam) has been completed near Spinwam, 28 kilometers from Mir Ali in North Waziristan. Construction activities are also in progress on irrigation system and small hydel power stations.

On completion, Stage-I of Kurram Tangi Dam Project will irrigate 16,380 acres of land and generate about 19 MW of electricity.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing US$ 81 million as grant while Italian Corporation is chipping in US$ 45 million as a soft loan to 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.