ISLAMABAD - Twenty Three percent work on the phase-I of Kurram Tangi Hydro Project, in North Waziristan, has been completed and the PC-I related to the command area development of the project will be moved to the CDDWP for approval.

The phase-I of the Kaitu Weir power project which will also generate 18.9MW electricity will be completed by April 2019, official documents available with The Nation said.

The project is located across Kurram river in North Waziristan Agency about 14 KMs upstream of Kurram Garhi Head works and 32KMs North of Bannu City in previously Federally Administrated Tribal Area (Fata).

According the documents the Kurrum Tangi Dam Project (KTDP) is multipurpose water development projects located across Kurram and Kaitu Weir river in North Waziristan district of KP.

Kurrum Tangi dam project (KTDP) is divided in two phases which include Phase-I, Kaitu Weir hydro power project, and Phase-II, Kurrum Tangi dam project (KTDP).

Work on Kaitu Weir project has been started in 2016 and the project will have a height  of 18 ft and Feeder Tunnel Discharge Capacity will be 633.4 cusecs.

The project is schedeuled to be completed by April 2019 and on completion the project will generate 18.9 Megawatt of electricity and will irrigate around 16380 acres of land.

Kaitu Weir has further been divided into two components which includes Kaitu Weir hydro project, development of affiliated structure and development of command area the project.

The first component is being executed by Wapda while the second one by FATA Secretariat. American aid agency USAID is funding the main portion of the Kaitu Weir Hydro project while Italian government is funding development of command area of the project.

The total cost of the project is Rs4740.11 billion which will be shared by local ADP of Rs295.18 million and Rs 4444.93 billion by the Italian government. The project will be completed in three years.

The phase-II of the KTDP will start later which includes the dam height of 322 ft and it has the gross storage capacity of 1.20 MAF while it will generate 83.4 MW (350 GWh) electricity. The total command Area of the project is 84,380 acres which will be irrigated through Sheratalla Canal 12,300 acres, Spaira Ragha Canal 4,080 acres and Thal Canal 68,000 acres.

The working paper of command area development of Kaitu Weir project has already been submitted to the Ministry of Planning Development and Reforms and will be tabled to the upcoming meeting of Central Development Working Party (CDWP) for approval.