Project News

From 3rd Nov 2013 to 7th Nov 2013, K-TOP Water cluster had a work shop for three engineers of the Kassala State Water Corporation (SWC). The workshop was supported by JICA Grant Aid Project for Improvement of Water Supply System at Kassala City and a part of the workshop was conducted in the Hatomiya Water Treatment Plant which is under construction and in the site of the installment of water distribution pipe.

In Kassala, besides the technical cooperation project, Capacity Development Project for Provision of the Services for Basic Human Needs in Kassala (K-TOP), there is also grant aid project for developing urban water treatment plant. The latter project aims to solve the problem of providing water to the Hawata area which is located in a mountainside and facing with the scarcity of water. The project constructs eleven bore halls and, together with the existing nine bore wells, provides the water from twenty bore halls. The water goes to the 5200 ton tank and, after the injection of choline, will be distributed to the surrounding area.

As a result, after the project completes, there will be a great increase in the water supply. On the other hand, since the existing water distribution pipes are old asbestos type, in the future, SWC must conduct the replacement of the pipes. For this reason, K-TOP water cluster organized the workshop which SWC engineer can learn Japanese technology of the installment of water distribution pipe.

In the workshop, at first, Mr. Yamazaki, the person in charge of construction management in the Grant Aid project, and three contractors, Mr. Ochiai, Mr. Takano and Mr. Taniguchi explained briefly about the pipe materials, how to install them, and construction management. In the site, there were polyvinyl chloride water pipes, 20cm in diameter, and distribution water pipes, 50cm in diameter. The SWC engineers learned how to cut the ductile steel pipe and how to finish it using a disc grinder. The engineers were happy to hear that those pipes will be usable for fifty years more. Moreover, they experienced the method of checking quality of pipe connection by using a gauge for the first time.

After the pipe installation, the labors filled the pipe with 30cm of sand using a compactor very carefully. Here, the engineers learned how to dig a trench using excavator along with the guided white line. They also learned a quality control method using check sheet at each 50 meters, and taking a photograph at every 100 meters for the better construction management.

Concerning the safeness, the engineers learned safety assessment methods such as the prohibition of slippers, always wearing helmet during the work in the site and putting ropes around the site in order to prevent children's from entering.

In the construction site of Hatomiya Water Treatment Plant, Mr. Takano explained the current situation that more than 20 labors are working on the establishment of a concrete form and to set up reinforced concrete. Engineers were much interested in these works to see such a large scale of water tank for the first time.

On the lecture day, SWC engineers learned construction plan of earth work for digging trench and back filling work. The K-TOP tem made the text book in Arabic of earth work and piping work. In the lecture, SWC engineers learned the standard depth and width of the trench. They asked question very aggressively and the Grant Aid project team answered in detail. This work shop finished satisfactory.

In the end, SWC engineers asked Grant Aid project team that they would like to learn more from the construction site. Mr. Yamazaki and Mr. Ochiai replied that they may come to the site at any time again. Everybody is looking forward to having the next workshop.

The construction work in the temperature exceeding 30 degrees with very little shadow is really hard. The work will continue until July 2014. The Hatomiya residence is looking forward to having water. K-TOP and Grant Aid project will continue to corroborate for the future workshop. We hope this Japanese technology will be helpful for SWC in the future replacement work of old asbestos pipes.

(Reported by Mr. Hiroyuki Sakamoto, JICA expert on pipe network management / construction management)

The SWC engineers are observing the laying transmission pipe of diameter 50cm and the distribution pipe of diameter 20cm.

Mr. Taniguchi explained construction plan to SWC engineers.

The SWC engineer checks the quality of connection using a gauge.

Mr.Takano explained the structure of a new well to the SWC engineers.