Ethiopia: Tendaho Irrigation Dam Completed

Posted on : Friday, 6th January 2017

 The dam has a capacity to hold 1.8 billion cubic meters of water and irrigate 60,000 hectares.

The Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity announced that the overdue construction of Tendaho Irrigation Dam has been completed .

According to the ministry , the irrigation project was expected to be finalized in three- year time with 870 million birr budget.

As the construction of project is long overdue and has taken eight year more , the cost of the construction has increased five-fold (5.6 billion Birr) from the initial financial plan, the ministry said.

Explaining reasons for the late completion, State Minister Kebede Gerba cited that lack of experience and capacity of contractors, absence of sufficient studies and financial problems and the like.

Located in Afar State, Tendaho Irrigation Dam has a capacity to hold 1.8 billion cubic meters of water and irrigate 60,000 hectares of land.

Currently, the irrigation dam is cultivating 25,000 hectares of sugarcane plantation and irrigating 6,000 households' farm land, according to Fana Broadcasting Corporate.

The dam has a capacity to hold 1.8 billion cubic meters of water and irrigate 60,000 hectares.