A-E Services for Monitoring and Milestone Verification of USAID-Funded Waran Canal and Gomal Zam Dam Command Area Development Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Site Visit Report No. 1 for Waran Canal Project

The project involves the construction of a 5.6 km long Main Waran Canal and 24 structures, including bridges and culverts. The project is being implemented by the Frontier Works Organization (FWO), which has subcontracted the work to TEKSER JV. The site visit report, compiled by Halcrow Pakistan, provides an overview of the project's progress and identifies areas that require attention. The report indicates that the overall physical progress of the project stands at 85% completion, with 5459 meters of Main Waran Canal lining, 4133 meters of Main Waran Canal earthworks, and 7 structures completed. However, 17 structures are still under construction, and finishing earthworks, canal lining, and gravel surfacing are yet to be completed. Quality issues were observed during the site visit, including earth fill on the left side of the canal not being filled or compacted up to the top of the canal shoulder, and the top width of the earthen embankment being less than 1 meter in some locations. Finishing of canal earthworks was also found to be remaining, with provision of berm width and side slope as per drawings. The report highlights the need for proper compacting of fresh concrete placed for lining and producing a proper concrete mix with the right water-cement ratio and curing of concrete to avoid surface cracks. Additionally, canal embankments need to be constructed to finish grade and level, including removal of excavated material throughout canal reaches of Packages A, B, C, and E. The Environmental Mitigation and Management Plan (EMMP) compliance was found to be satisfactory, with no serious non-compliance observed on all ongoing construction packages. However, EMMP compliance on Package A and C is better than the remaining packages, as these packages are implemented by FWO. The report provides a detailed account of the site observations and recommendations for improvement, highlighting the need for close monitoring and verification of the project's progress to ensure timely completion and quality of work.