Corporation CEO Eng .Haile-Meskel Tefera said one of the agreements is the construction of a-54km canal that stretches from head water to farmland of Omo Kuraz to irrigate 150, 000 hectares of sugar farm;thereby, to feeding factories which crush 50,000 tons of Sugarcane daily.

 

The construction which costs 696 million Birr would be carried out by Chinese Jangshi Water and Hydro power Corporation while Ethiopian Design and Construction Works Supervision Corporation undertakes the consultancy tasks.

 

According to Eng. Haile-Meskel, the agreement included the construction of irrigation passageways for Wolkayit Sugar Development Project which covers an area of 40,000 hectares and would assist to crush 24,000 tons of sugarcane daily. The construction works would be carried out by Sugar Construction PLC at a cost of 862 million Birr.

 

Similarly, another agreement was signed for the construction of canals on the right and left sides of the Arjo dam to develop 80,000 hectares irrigation farms for Arjo Sugar Development Project. The project is designed to enable the factory crushing 8,000 tons of sugar cane daily.

 

In this agreement, the irrigation works would be administered by Water, Irrigation and electric Ministry while the Oromia Water Works and Construction Enterprise undertake the consultancy section. Upon completion, the Corporation would receive and administer the management.

 

Eng. Haile-Meskel stressed that the government has made efforts to increase the proper use of water resource. The construction of these irrigation development projects would be expected to complete from six to ten years of time.

Source : allafrica.com