Description of the project In the frame of Project, it will be foreseen to improve the quality and reliability of power supply of villages located within the Impact Corridor by modernizing rural infrastructure. Taking into account the location of the targeted villages, all improvements will be related to the connection of the villages to the electrical network of the area. Also, within the framework of subject subcomponent, system will be modernized in the Vorukh village, the Tajik enclave in the Kyrgyz Republic and the border settlements of Chorku, which are located in the city of Isfara. The Tajikistan portion of CASA1000 transmission line (of about 170-km) extends from Sughd province in the north bordering the Kyrgyz Republic, to Khatlon province in the south, covering eight districts and 24 Jamoats. The Transmission Line 3-km corridor of impact (CoI) (i.e. 1.5 km on either side of the TL) includes communities that are economically and socially vulnerable with limited access to public infrastructure and services, including winter energy shortages. As the high-voltage CASA1000 transmission line will not itself provide electricity to communities located nearby, and to share in the benefits expected from the CASA project and create a supportive environment for the project, Community Support Project (CSP) is being implemented in Tajikistan, in the areas of implementation of CASA1000 Project, as a means to mitigate social risk and maximize the socio-economic benefits of the energy investments. Specifically, this Tajikistan’ CSP will be predicated on a community driven development approach to ensure that local investments are tailored to community needs and enjoy broad support, and will each establish a longer-term benefits-sharing mechanism, the Community Development Fund, to benefit communities and individuals located within the area of the CASA1000 project through a portion of project revenues from the energy exported/imported during the commercial phase of CASA1000.

1.3 Defining Project Zones

Project area: Sughd, Khatlon, RRS regions and Vorukh & Chorkukh Final destination (Project Site): Sughd, Khatlon, RRS regions and Vorulkh & Chorkukh. The project focuses on the improvement of the quality of power supply of 65 villages located within the Impact Corridor of the northern, central and southern segments of the CASA-1000 OHL in Tajikistan (Sughd, Khatlon, RRS regions) and 50 border villages of Chorku & Vorukh located in Isfara city. Subcomponent 1A will fund improvements to the quality and reliability of electricity supply by upgrading village level infrastructure to an agreed service standard. Most of the work will involve: (i) replacement of old, and where necessary and installation of new supplylevel 10 kV/0.4 kV transformers; (ii) replacement of deteriorated wood poles with concrete poles; and/or (iii) replacement/ installation of new 10 kV lines and 0.4 kV self-supporting insulated wire. These investments in power supply improvements will help communities access a more regular and reliable power supply, reduce technical losses, improve voltage conditions in the main load areas of the target villages, and reduce health and safety risks associated with an aging system. Where existing power supply capacity is insufficient, higher level electricity infrastructure (rehabilitation of 110/35 kV distribution substation - replacing transformers/disconnectors, relay protection, circuit breakers, telecommunication devices, etc.). Such measures to improve power supply will help communities’ access to the power supply, reduce technical losses and improve voltage conditions in the main load areas of the affected villages. The Project will include two linked sets of investments: on Isfara 2 110/10 kV substation and System Expansion and Reinforcement in Makhala Vahdat, which will cover construction and reinforcement of 110/10 kV, Barki Tojik distribution networks, including lines and substations, and supply networks to new Makhala construction and