Preparations Underway to Start Filling GERD this July

Addis Ababa April 24/2020 Preparations that enable the filling of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) starting from July, 2020 have been intensified, according to a member of the GERD negotiating team.

A member of the team, Gedion Asfaw said 4.9 billion cubic liters of water that can make two of turbines operate will be filled in the first phase.

A year from that some 13.5 billion cubic liters will be conserved, he said, adding that all the turbines will start operating when a total of 18.4 billion cubic liters is hold in the  dam.

GERD Project Manager Kifle Horo told ENA that the construction work of the dam has been intensified.

As part of the preparation for the filling of the dam this coming July, unemployed youth of Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State will clear the forest on 1,000 hectares.

According to him, unemployed youth from other regions will also participate in clearing activities that will take place phase by phase.

It is to be recalled that ministers of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan had agreed on a broad framework that allows the filling of the dam which starts on July 20202.