Wadelai irrigation scheme works restart under fresh contractor

Wadelai Irrigation Scheme has received a new contractor after Coil Limited failed to complete the construction works at the site.

The contractor’s failure resulted in water from the canals flooding nearby homes and farms, causing extensive damage to property.

This prompted a Presidential directive instructing that the project be completed within four months. The new contractor, Ambitious Construction Company Limited, has already begun rehabilitating parts of the scheme that were poorly constructed.

Under the revised scope of work, the facilities under construction include the headworks, critical sections of the spillway, main canal works and the completion of secondary, tertiary and quadrant canals.

Other works include spot repairs on scheme roads, installation of a rainwater harvesting system and solar power for scheme buildings, construction of livestock watering facilities, completion of sanitation facilities, farmland clearance and spot repairs on the access road to the spillway’s left bank.

Pakwach assistant chief administrative officer Charles Muswa stressed the importance of the contractor adhering to the designated four-month timeline.

He also urged the company to comply with quality standards to ensure the project’s long-term durability.

"This time, if you follow what I am telling you about timeliness, compliance and quality, then we will ensure durability", he said.

He appealed to local residents to support the contractor to ensure the scheme is fully rectified.

The LC5 chairperson of Pakwach, Robert Steen Omito, criticised the former contractor, Coil Limited, for delivering shoddy work.

"By now, the construction works of the irrigation site should have been done by now so that the communities start benefitting, which automatically translates to votes for the President."

He insisted that the drainage system must be improved. "The drainage system within the scheme is not doing well because when we start seeing frosts all over the place, which is used for breeding frogs, it means the system has failed", he said.

Omito also asked the new contractor to prioritise employing local people at the site.

Resident engineer Asfar Biruk said they would ensure the works are completed within four months. He added that the recruitment of local workers is already underway.

The deputy RDC of Pakwach, Achile Twaib, called on the ministry to strengthen its working relationship with the district to promote project ownership.

"When you hand over such central government projects, include the district to allow ownership of these projects."

Farmer Geoffrey Masendi said residents are eagerly awaiting the completion of construction so that their crops are no longer destroyed.

Pamela Acan, a farmer from Ocayo village in Wadelai subcounty, said the flooding damaged their property and called on government to compensate affected households.