The International Rose Producer Karuturi Global Ltd. is set to construct embankments around its farm in Western Ethiopia after incurring 15 million dollars worth of losses due to floods. The loss was primarily caused by the destruction of maize plants, with a potential yield of 60,000 tonnes according to Ramakrishna Karuturi, General Manager of the company.

Karuturi announced on Monday that the farmland was flooded in spite of dikes spanning 80km on the side that faces the riverbank. The 1.8 meter tall dikes proved to be inadequate to prevent the flooding Karturi explained.

The company reported plans to build taller dikes around the farm. The new design will aim to create a polder; land enclosed by dykes with no connection with outside water except through manually operated devices.

Karuturi has retained the services of Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS) an Indian consultant specializing in flood control and design of irrigation and drainage systems. A Dutch advisory firm with expertise in providing satellite information on hydrological processes and water management issues has also been retained.

Karuturi expects to finalize plans for the construction of the new embankments by November and begin construction then. The company has some respite because the rainy seasons are over and there is no expected threat of flooding in the near future.

The cost of building the dikes is estimated to be approximately three million dollars for every 5,000 hectare of land spanning 30 km according to Karuturi.

Source: Addis Fortune