Chinese construction company hands over mega water dam to Zambia

China's Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Corporation (AFECC) handed over a mega water dam with a storage capacity of 61 million cubic meters to the Zambian government on Thursday.

Zambian President Edgar Lungu inspected the site and said his country has turned a new page in the advancement of irrigation agriculture thanks to the Mwomboshi Dam in central Dhisamba district.

In remarks delivered during the handover, Lungu said the project is a stamp on the government's significant strides being made in infrastructure development aimed at fostering national development.

The government intends to build at least one large-scale dam in each province to irrigate massive hectares of land for agricultural purposes, the president said.

The Zambian leader further challenged other contractors in the country to emulate the work culture and dedication which the AFECC has shown by not only completing the construction of the dam ahead of schedule but also reaching world-class standards of quality and efficiency.

The project, launched in March 2016, has been completed and handed over nine months ahead of schedule, according to Kan Jiatao, the Chinese firm's project manager.

He said the AFECC had observed safety measures during the construction process.

The 1.6-kilometer-long dam financed by the World Bank at a cost of 28 million U.S. dollars will see about 4,000 hectares of land be brought under irrigation with at least 1,500 hectares under smallholder farmers.