PESHAWAR: The WAPDA has started work on the multi-faceted Kurram Tangi Dam in North Waziristan Agency that would produce more than 83.4 Megawatt electricity, besides having water storage capacity of 1.2 MAF. Salim Mirza, WAPDA Director North Projects told APP that work on multi-faceted Kurram-Tangi dam has been started that would be completed in two stages with gross water storage capacity of 1.2 MAF besides generating 83.4MW electricity. The US will provide around Rs 8.5 billion to WAPDA for the project, being built on Kaitu river in North Wazirstan Agency and an agreement with USAID has already been signed in this regard. The funds would be used for construction of Shertalla and Spairaga canals, two power houses, a transmission line, housing accommodations for operational staff and an office building, he explained. Mirza said contract for stage-I of the dam has already been awarded to Frontier Works Organization and Descon Company in June last year with a direction to complete it by April 2019, adding that with the completion of stage-I, more than 16,000 acres of agricultural land will be irrigated and an additional 18.9 MW of electricity will be produced to benefit over 100,000 people. The PC-of Stage-II, being major component of the dam with about 85MW capacity, has been completed that would be constructed on River Kurram at Spinwarm in North Waziristan. In order to get financial assistance for Stage-II, Salim Mirza said that a donor conference for funds’ raising would soon be arranged. Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Fata that was most suited for hydel power generation, the government has decided to take full advantage of this huge potential by initiating scores of energy projects to get rid of load-shedding by 2018 Ashraf Pervez, Chief Engineer Headquarter Wapda North told APP that work on Golen Goal Hydro Power Project (GGHPP) 108MW, being constructed at Kaghuzi in Upper Chitral, was in full swing and added that its first unit with overall 36MW capacity would be operational by December this year. He said 97 percent civil work on GGHPP and 60% work on Electrical and Mechanical on power house have been completed. He said PESCO has been asked to improve its grid stations and transmission lines in Chitral so that the electricity generated from this project could easily be supplied to Upper Chitral and other areas. Gomal Zam dam in South Waziristan Agency with 17.4MW capacity has been completed and generation of electricity has been started to help address low voltage and load-shedding in districts Tank, DI Khan and South Waziristan Agency besides irrigating 1,910,000 acres of barren land of southern districts of KP, he added. Work on Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project is also in full swing and under it, three generating units each of them having capacity of 470 MW are being installed at Tunnel No. 4 of Tarbela Dam.