Minister seeks speedy completion of Gurara Dam project
The multi-billion naira Gurara Water Transfer Project was initiated by former president Olusegun Obasanjo 13 years ago, but is yet to be completed by the federal government.The contract for the dam was awarded in 2001 for the supply of water to the Lower Usuma Dam in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to cover for the […]
The multi-billion naira Gurara Water Transfer Project was initiated by former president Olusegun Obasanjo 13 years ago, but is yet to be completed by the federal government.
The contract for the dam was awarded in 2001 for the supply of water to the Lower Usuma Dam in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to cover for the shortfall in the dam but was later expanded to cover power generation and irrigation-fed farming activities.
The major dam work has been completed and about 14m3 per second of raw water is being supplied to the FCT Water Board on demand, while the power generation plant has also been completed but the 30mw is unutilised following the absence of the 140 kilometres 132kv high voltage transmission line to the main sub-station in Kudenda, Kaduna.
On the irrigation aspect, two reservoirs with the carrying capacity of over 4000 cubic meters of raw water has been completed to water the 6,000 hectres pilot farmland awaiting the official flag-off of the irrigation component of the project.
Mrs Sarah Ochekpe during an inspection tour of the dam last week urged the contractor to “make haste and complete the project as Nigerians are eargly waiting to use it.”
Ochekpe said that from the tour, vital components of the project have been completed as already the contractors have started installing the 132kv high voltage transmission lines and in no time 30mw of electricity would be injected into Kaduna State to revive the comatose business activities.
She said the irrigation-fed farming slots provided as a component of the project would be given to civil servants and private sector investors for use.
“The project will satisfy the FCT water demand, produce 30mw of electricity for Kaduna city, allow development of modern irrigation areas for intensive agriculture in the Gurara valley and boost fishing and tourism potential of the surrounding communities,” she added.
Minister seeks speedy completion of Gurara Dam project