WAPCOS, a premier international organisation under the Indian ministry of water resources, will be required to complete the project within four years.

The Indian government had last month sanctioned Rs.3.5 billion ($79 million) for reconstruction and completion of the project.

When complete, the dam will meet the water requirements of Herat province and support a 42 MW hydropower plant.

The government had already decided to award the project to WAPCOS and an agreement was signed between the company and the ministry of external affairs, an official statement said here Thursday.

"WAPCOS will provide comprehensive engineering consultancy services, including construction and creation of infrastructure facilities, pre-constructive survey and investigations, review of basic design and drawings and tender engineering," the statement said.

--Indo-Asian News Service