Gomal Zam Dam and Irrigation Project
The Gomal Zam Irrigation Project is working to provide flood control and a year-round supply of irrigation water in the Tank and Dera Ismail Khan (D.I.Khan) Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Through this project, USAID is funding the construction of an irrigation and drainage system downstream from the Gomal Zam Dam situated in South Waziristan. When completed, the irrigation system will provide nearly 325,000 acre-feet of water annually to irrigate 191,000 acres of farm land in KP. The project will contribute to increased crop yields, opportunities for the cultivation of high-value cash crops, and significantly higher incomes for farmers in the region. Business development, trade, and employment opportunities for 30,000 Wazir and Mahsud households, most of whom are nomadic, are also increasing due to the Gomal Zam Irrigation Project. USAID signed the Activity Agreement with the Government of Pakistan through the Water and Power Development Authority, the implementing partner, on October 15, 2015. The project was extended until December 2016 with the addition of the Waran Canal improvement activity.
Activity Description
• Design the irrigation and drainage system downstream from the Gomal Zam Dam.
• Construct an irrigation system including a diversion barrage, a 60.5 kilometer long main canal, and a 206 kilometer long network of distribution canals.
• Construct flood protection structures including a 42-kilometer flood protection bund and a 48-kilometer flood carrier channel.
• Construct a 186-kilometer drainage system (surface drains).
• Construct 860 irrigation and drainage structures including bridges, falls, outlets, regulators, and inlets.
• Provide gravel surfacing for 266 kilometers of canal inspection roads.
Expected Outcomes
• Supply electricity to more than 270,000 people, prevents life-threatening flash floods, and creates water storage for households and farmers in the area
• Supply irrigation water for around 77,000 hectares of farmland
• Increase the incomes of an estimated 30,000 farming families in the region.
Actual Outcomes
• The main dam and spillway constructed, tested, and have begun operations.
• A 54 ¬kilometer double circuit 132 kilovolt transmission line constructed to deliver power from the dam to Tank Power Station.
• A powerhouse and switchyard constructed, adding 17.4 megawatts of power generation capacity to the national grid. This amount of power is sufficient to supply electricity to 39,000 families. Reservoir filled to 90 (out of planned 96) meters.
