T4.1 Problem Statement
HE people of Umpronga are
farmers and they mostly depend
on selling cash crops such as Tobacco
and vegetables, which they grow after
the rainy season on the bed of the Wadi.
The flood-land of the wadi was not
enough for everyone, so they tried to
build an earth embankment across the
wadi course, but it was washed away.
They have contacted ITDG to help them
build a dam so that more area is flooded
and more crops can be grown.
For domestic water use, the people of
Umpronga get their water from Tawila 7
km away. The new dam will help them
access water from closer sources at least
during the rainy season and for a few
months after it.
T4.2 Project Goal
HE aim of this new project is to
irrigate an area of about 5,000–
10,000 feddans up and downstream of a
khor2, by constructing a dam and flood
control system.
T4.3 Project Description
HE project consists of the following
structures:
Earth Embankment
Northern embankment:
- Length = 1,215m, embankment
top level: 102.00m
- Number of openings = 5 each is
21 metres long
Southern embankment:
- Length = 1,120m, embankment top
level: 102.00m
2. Khor is a water course also know as wadi
16
- Number of openings = 5 each is 21
metres long
Control Structure:
- Spillway length = 14.00m,
spillway crest = 101.00m
- Number of sluice gates (0.76m
in diameter) = 4
- Number of side spillways (1m x
1m each) = 4
- 4 terraces, 2 in each side with
openings for better water
distribution
Operation Procedures:
The procedures apply to the irrigation
process, flood control and silt control.
If the water level upstream of the earth
embankment is below the level 101.50m
and above the level 100.50m, and all
four sluice gates are closed, water
will flow through the openings of the
northern embankment and the southern
embankment to irrigate the agricultural
land.
If the water level upstream of the earth
embankment is above the level 101.50m
the four side spillways and the four
sluice gates should be opened to reduce
the extra amounts of floodwater and
lower the upstream water level. If the
amount of silt deposited upstream of the
control structure becomes significant,
the sluice gates can be opened partially
or fully to wash out the silt.
I4.4 Impact of Project
N its first season and even before
the completion of the construction
and erection of the gates, the dam
managed to irrigate 2,000 feddans.
2000 families who acquired land in
that area have benefited from the
PRACTICAL ANSWERS
TO POVERTY