Rehabilitation of Tono Irrigation Dam in Ghana completed

Rehabilitation works on the Tono Irrigation Dam in Ghana has been completed. The Chinese company Top International Engineering Cooperation (TIEC) implemented the irrigation project over a period of 36 months.

The project which cost US $36M is part of the Ghana Commercial Agricultural Project (GCAP) which has so far recorded 13,190 hectares of additional irrigable land through the rehabilitation of the Tono, Kpong Left Bank and Kpong irrigation schemes for rice and vegetables.

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Scope of work

Works on the project which is located in Kassena-Nankana Municipality, Upper East Region of Ghana, consisted of the reconstruction of the retaining walls, irrigation canals, dam floor, laterals and other parts of the structure built in 1975. The spillway and the spillway of the water reservoir were also rehabilitated. The Ghanaian government obtained the funds from several funding partners, including the World Bank and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The re-commissioning of the Tono Dam (4km long) will make water available for the irrigation of 2,490 hectares of rice fields and vegetable plantations in the communities of Kassena-Nankana and Builsa. An intake from the Tono multi-purpose dam will also supply the new drinking water plant in the Ghanaian city. The plant built at Tono will be capable of treating 20,500 m3 of water per day. The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) will operate the future plant which will serve the towns of Navrongo, Paga, Zuarungu, Bolgatanga and surrounding communities.

“Among the immediate benefits of the project is an increase in rice yield from 4.5 to 5.5 tonnes per hectare, which has led to increased production and farm income. Some 14,264 smallholder farmers have benefited directly, creating 40,000 jobs in several value chain activities generated by the irrigation projects,” said the president.