ECNEC approves Stage-1 of Kurram Tangi Dam

ISLAMABAD: Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) Thursday approved Kurram Tangi Multipurpose Dam Stage-1 (Kaitu Weir Irrigation and Power) Project, located in North Waziristan Agency, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
In a meeting of ECNEC headed by Minister for Finance, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, the Stage one of the Dam was approved at a reduced cost of Rs 12.662 billion including USAID grant in aid of Rs 9.975 billion.
The main objective of the project is to provide 76.15 cubic-ft/sec assured irrigation water supply to bring 16,380 acres of land under cultivation in FATA and generate 18.9 MW electricity.
The Minister said that location of the project is in FATA area and it is necessary for socio-economic uplift of North Waziristan, therefore, it should be put on fast track.
The Minister added that the project will also provide water for domestic use of 48,500 population.
ECNEC also considered and approved in principle the Revised PC-I of Sindh Water Sector Improvement Project Phase-I (WSIP-I) in the command area of Ghotki feeder, Nara, Fuleli and Akram Wah canals at a reduced cost of Rs 30.353 billion including International Development Association (IDA) loan of Rs 28.840 billion.
The Government of Sindh will return IDA loan from their own resources and reflect its financing in their provincial ADP.
The objective of project is to improve the effectiveness and operational efficiency of water distribution by ensuring the safety of the canal system and delivering due share of water to the farmers at the tail end of the irrigation system.
Moreover, ECNEC also approved Revised PC-I of Gomal Zam Multipurpose Project at revised/rationalized cost of Rs 20.626 billion which include USAID grant in aid of Rs 10.721 billion (US $ 97 million).
Main objective of the project is to harness flow water and conserve the perennial flow for providing assured irrigation water supply of 848 cusecs (24 cumecs) to irrigate 191,139 acres of land including 28,053 acres additional land which falls under the command of Waran Canal System and generate 17.4MW electricity.
ECNEC considered and approved Gomal Zam Command Area Development and On-Farm Water Management for High Value and High Efficiency Agriculture Project, located in D.I. Khan and Tank Districts, at a rationalized cost of Rs.3.73 billion including USAID grant in aid of Rs.2.2 billion.
The project is devised to develop the command area of Gomal Zam Dam through 848 cusecs of sustainable irrigation water supply which will bring 191,139 acres of land under cultivation. The completion date for project is fiscal year 2014- 15.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Pervez Rashid, Minister for Science and Technology, Zahid Hamid, Minister of State for Information Technology, Anusha Rehman, Adviser to Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah and senior officials of the Federal and Provincial Governments.