Nation plans to undertake 21bn birr irrigation projects

Addis Ababa, August 17, 2020 (FBC) – Irrigation Development Commission said it has planned to undertake nine irrigation projects with an outlay of 21 billion birr during this Ethiopian Fiscal year.

Vice Commissioner, Engineer Samuel Neguse told ENA the irrigation schemes to be constructed in various parts of the country are expected to develop more than 125,000 hectares of land up on completion.

According to him, the new projects will also include other social services and infrastructures beneficial to the nearby communities.

The commission will put in place a system that undertakes consistent support and monitoring activities by enhancing the capacity of the contractors in order to complete the projects on time, he added.

Noting that similar projects that had previously been undertaken in the country took more than ten years, Samuel expressed commitment to complete the construction of the on-going and new irrigation schemes within two years.

He pointed out that currently, 10 irrigation projects with the capacity of developing 92,000 hectares of land are under construction in the lowland areas of the country.

The commission has also recalled that more than 500,000 water pumps are distributed to farmers across the nation during the concluded Ethiopian budget year in order to encourage irrigation development of the country.