ISLAMABAD, Feb 14: The multi-billion-rupee Gomal Zam Dam and Mirani Dam projects are experiencing delays due to continued suspension of work and insufficient security at their sites.

Sources told Dawn here on Monday that Wapda officials had informed higher authorities that work could not be resumed since October 9, 2004 when the Chinese contractor stopped work due to kidnapping and killing of a Chinese engineer at the Gomal Dam site.

They said that Wapda officials had approached the president and the prime minister's secretariats to help bring M/s China National Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Corporation, the contractor of the Gomal Zam Dam, back through diplomatic channels.

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and the government of Pakistan are providing major funding for the Rs12.8 billion dam being built on the Gomal River in South Waziristan Agency. Sources said the Gomal Dam project, which was started on July 15, 2002, would not be completed by June 30, 2006 if the Chinese contractor did not fully resume work.

Only 13.35 per cent physical progress has been reported against the expected 51.37 per cent progress due to delays especially after kidnapping and killing of the Chinese engineer. There has been 11.06 per cent financial progress on the project.

Although the government, sources said, had paid $100,000 to the family of the engineer who had been killed and $50,000 to the one who was injured, yet other Chinese workers were still reluctant to join the project.

The main objective of the project is to irrigate 163,086 acres of D. I. Khan division and generate 17.4 MW of electricity. About the Mirani Dam project, sources said, officials had informed the higher authorities that the Balochistan government had failed to provide security to Wapda consultants and contractor. They also said that a resettlement plan was to be prepared by the Balochistan government which was not done.