Monitoring and Milestone Verification of USAID-funded Waran Canal and Gomal Zam Dam Command Area Development Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The project is divided into eight packages, with Packages A, B, C, and D representing the main Waran Canal and Packages E, F, GI, and GII comprising minor canals and left-over minors of the main Gomal Zam Irrigation Project. The project's construction work is ongoing, with Packages A, B, C, and D already completed and verified. However, Packages E, F, GI, and GII are still under construction. According to the Project Implementation Letter (PIL-011), there are 25 milestones, with 19 approved to date. The current site visit, conducted from April 22 to May 3, 2019, aimed to verify the completion of three certified milestones, including Payment Number 17, Payment Number 18, and Payment Number 25 of Packages F and GII, respectively. The site visit report highlights the current status of ongoing and completed activities on milestone Payment Number 15 of Package E. WAPDA's official letters of milestones/Payment Numbers certification upon completion are attached as Appendix A. The report also includes photographs of the current visit, attached as Appendix B. An initial site visit report was submitted on May 10, 2019, to initiate rectification activities as per site visit observations, and an update from WAPDA is still awaited confirming rectification of the observations. The implementation of the Gomal Zam Irrigation Project (GZIP) has been delayed due to various reasons, including security concerns. The project's timeline was extended from December 31, 2017, to June 30, 2019, under PIL-011. During the last site visit, WAPDA, Management Consultant, and respective construction Contractors were advised to complete all physical activities as soon as possible, as further extension in time is not in USAID's plan. The site visit report also highlights the importance of environmental compliance and mitigation measures. The Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) is in place to ensure that the project's activities do not harm the environment. The report includes details of monitoring activities and field monitoring reports, attached as Appendix E and Appendix F, respectively. The project's quality assurance is also a critical aspect, with regular spot checking of dimensions and levels, random field testing of earthworks compaction and concrete quality, and random laboratory testing of earthworks compaction and concrete quality. The report includes a summary of field density tests, Schmidt hammer tests, and laboratory tests conducted, attached as Tables 18, 19, and 20, respectively. The site visit report concludes with a summary of the current status of the project, highlighting the progress made and the challenges faced. The report also includes recommendations for future actions and rectification activities to ensure the project's successful completion.