HIBAPRESS – A. Mahyawi
All eyes are on the Taounate region, where the construction of the "Sidi Abbo" dam is nearing completion, a step that strengthens the water infrastructure in the Sebou basin and opens up new development prospects for the residents of Taounate and Taza.
According to official data, the construction progress rate has reached 99%, after a series of technical tests and final touches that precede the start of receiving the first water inflows in the coming months. This water project is located on the Oued El Lben in the Ain Maatouf commune, in the Tissa region, southeast of the Taounate region, with its extension towards lands belonging to the Abarrah commune in the Taza region. The total capacity of the dam's reservoir reaches 200 million cubic meters, making it one of the major projects in the region. It is expected to contribute to reducing the risks of floods that have long affected the communes of Tissa and Abarrah, especially during periods of heavy rainfall, by regulating the flow of Oued El Lben and reducing the damage to the population and infrastructure. On the agricultural level, the dam will allow the irrigation of about 5,000 hectares of land located downstream, which will enhance agricultural production and improve the income of farmers, as well as support the water security of the region by providing the neighboring rural population with drinking water within the framework of the national program for the supply of drinking water and irrigation water. The project also includes an energy dimension through the production of electromechanical energy. The project consists of two main facilities: the main dam built using the roller-compacted concrete technique with a height of approximately 72 meters and a length at the crest of 148 meters, with a total concrete volume of approximately 240 thousand cubic meters; in addition to a complementary barrier extending over more than a kilometer with a height of 41 meters, and a fill volume of approximately two million cubic meters, which ensures the closure of the reservoir on the left bank. The construction work had started at the end of 2021, where accelerating the pace of work under the supervision of Moroccan frameworks and competencies contributed to reducing the construction period by about a year, reflecting a renewed dynamism in the implementation of strategic water projects in the Kingdom. As it nears its commissioning, the "Sidi Abbo" dam is expected to be a fundamental pillar for achieving sustainable water and development balance in the region, in the context of increasing climate challenges and the urgent need for effective management of water resources.
