Following the instruction from the city’s Administration, the tender to hire an environment impact assessor for the 400 million Br river revitalisation project was suspended by Addis Abeba Rivers and Riverside Development Project Office (AARRDPO).
The latest decision of the Administration transpires as the Project Office was reviewing the technical and financial proposals of six bidders, after the tender was floated on November 7, 2017.
The companies participated in the bid to undertake a feasibility study on the Qechene river refurbishing project- which will be implemented along the river extending from Afincho Ber to Urma Garage. The Project involves revamping four kilometres of the river with ponds, walkways and parks. Six bridges will also be constructed along the river.
“After receiving the instruction, we suspended the tender for an indefinite period,” said Walelign Desalegn, director of the Project Office.
The Administration suspended the tender after deeming a previous study undertaken by Addis Abeba University adequate to implement the project without conducting a feasibility study.
The Study, completed mid-2017, was undertaken for eight months and deduced that over 90pc of rivers in the capital including Qechene were polluted and required an urgent response by the Administration.
Taking the Study as a baseline for the project, the Office floated a tender to hire a consultant capable of carrying out a feasibility analysis for the lifespan of the project.
Adverse effects of the Project on forest management, landscape design, pollution, social and economic affairs pushed the Office to select an impact assessor costing an estimated 100 million Br.
“We floated the tender, not for the University’s failure to check the feasibility of the project, but owing to the regulation of Environmental Protection Authority that forbids the initiation of any project without assessing its impact,” Walelign told Fortune.
Then, 10 companies bought the bid document, of which only six passed the preliminary technical evaluation.
Firanbon Consultancy, Water & Energy Design and Supervision Works Sector, TS Environment Technology, Abu Wube Mineral Water & Environmental Protection Consulting Firm, Gillo Development Research & Environmental Protection Consultancy and Mekuriya Environmental Friendly Consultancy were bidding to become the impact assessors of the project.
Nonetheless, despite their previous attempt, the Office’s management doubted the importance of the impact assessment since the issuance of the directive from the Administration.
“Undertaking environmental impact assessment is not too crucial for our project,” said Walelign.
Despite the controversy, the Project Office plans to launch the project in the next two months, in spite of the bidder’s apprehensions on the applicability of the project without assessing its consequences.
“It is surprising that the city’s Administration believes such a project can be commenced without a feasibility study,” said Samson Hailu, managing director of TS Environment- one of the participants in the bid. “Again, if they do that, they should have informed us in written.”
In Addis, there are seven large, 76 small and medium rivers that flow throughout the year. Founded two years ago to prevent soil erosion and flooding along these rivers, the Office’s mandate is targeted to phase out by 2022 after the development of Qebena, Qechene and Qurtimie rivers.
This year, the city’s Administration allocated one billion Birr for the execution of projects planned by the Office.