Ethiopia received a 1.7 Billion birr loan from the Export-Import Bank of China to develop water wells in the Addis Ababa area.
The loan, pending approval by the House of Peoples Representatives, will be paid in 20 years disclosed sources. The additional wells will enable the Addis Ababa city administration to achieve 100% water coverage in the city.
The project to develop water wells in the Gelan area will be handled by the China Geo-Engineering Corporation in collaboration with domestic firm, Action Engineering plc. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and CGC said sources.
The Gelan project will include five reservoirs to supply water to within a raidus 21 Kilometers. Construction will commence after the contract is signed and cost are approved by MoFED.It is to be remembered that the the Ministry of Water and Energy has invested in a range of potable water development projects across the country at a cost of 2.5 billion birr according to Kebede Gerba, State Minister of Water and Energy.
The water projects are estimated to be almost 8580 in total said Kebede.
The projects comprise of spring development, hand dug wells and small scale water wells as well as other initiative he explained.
Efforts to expand and rehabilitate existing water facilities are also a part of the plans of water development noted Kebede.
It is expected that seven million people will access to potable water with the completion of the projects at the end of the current yet he added.
1,240 of the total number of water projects were finalized in the first two quarters of the fiscal year with the others to be completed in the remaining months of the year.
Source: Addis Fortune
