As the result of the construction of the first phase of the light railway project stretching from Torhailoch to Ayat, the Addis Abeba Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA) is forced to relocate nine kilometers of its pipeline.

The Addis Abeba Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA) is relocating nine kilometres water pipe line from Megenagna to Mexico.

The relocation has been necessitated by the light railway construction, which follows the same line as the water pipe. Sample construction has already started around Meri CMC by China Railway Group Limited (CREC).

Different companies, including the China Geo-engineering Corporation (CGC) and China Gezhouba Group Company Ltd (CCGC) are making offers to AAWSA for the relocation, following an invitation extended to them by the Authority, according to Assegid Getacew, the Authority's general manager.

The Authority expects the relocation of the pipes to be completed within eight months from now to free the area for CREC; in the meantime residents will continue getting water from the reservoir located behind the Ministry of Mines near Gurd Shola, according to SeyoumBrehanu (Eng), Development & Expansion Project officer at AAWSA.

"We formed a steering committee to complete the relocation as fast as possible," Seyoum said.

Members of the steering committee are drawn from the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo), Ethio Telecom, Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) and AAWSA. They are currently looking into the offers made by the invited bidders.

AAWSA has so far achieved 93pc water supply coverage for Addis Abeba. This water comes from the Gefersa, Dire and Legedadi dams, as well as water wells at Akaki.