• Mugambi had projected it would take five to eight days to fill the dam. But when the Star visited on Friday, which was the 11th day, the dam was not yet full.
• A considerable portion of the water is being abstracted from River Thiba.
Image: WANGECHI WANG'ONDU
The filling of Thiba Dam is still on course, operators overseeing the exercise have said.
The filling of the dam started on May 24.
National Irrigation Authority chief executive officer Gitonga Mugambi had projected it would take five to eight days to fill the dam. But when the Star visited on Friday, which was the 11th day, the dam was not yet full
A considerable portion of the water is being abstracted from River Thiba.
Andrew Musyoka, the consultant engineer for the Sh8 billion dam, said by Friday they had put 4.4 million cubic meters against a targeted capacity of 15.6 million cubic meters.
He said the intake is submerged and was nearing elevation level, which would require an additional filling of one or two meters before winding up the exercise.
“We hope to be done in the next one or two days before opening up the river to have its normal flow downstream,” Musyoka said.
But on Sunday, he said they were still filling up the dam. He did not, however, talk about the current level of the water.
Musyoka said they will be filling the dam depending on the availability of the water.
"We look forward to raising the embankment of the dam as the months go by so that we can finally achieve our target," he said.
Musyoka said after the first phase of the impoundment, the dam water would be stored and released into the rice farms depending on farm requirements and the quantity of water in the river.
“The operations of the dam will be tied to the rice farming and the cropping pattern downstream. We know that different stages of rice farming require different quantities of water. When much water is required, then some amount can be sourced from the dam so that it can help complement the amount sourced from the river.”
He urged stakeholders in the forestry department to initiate a tree-planting exercise in the buffer zones around the dam to prolong the dam’s life and reduce soil erosion.
“Besides improving the general climate around the dam, a forested covering is necessary because that promotes a healthy environment for the dam thus increasing its lifeline.”
Nathan Tankwal, the site’s head of safety, urged the community to stay off the premises as it poses a great danger to their lives.
He urged parents to mind their schoolchildren to ensure they keep off the reservoir.
While noting that no major injuries or casualties had been registered on the site, Tankwal hailed the community for their receptiveness to the project.
He said with this attitude, a good relationship will continue to thrive for the well-being of residents.
Nema Kirinyaga county director Ezra Ng’ang’a hailed the project, saying it will revolutionise rice farming.
He spoke as he led his team and other stakeholders in planting 1,500 indigenous tree seedlings around Thiba Dam.
Edited by A.N
Image: WANGECHI WANG'ONDU