Addis Abeba — Residents of Borracha District in Bunno Beddelle Zone, Oromia Region, say water impounded by the Arjo-Dhidheessa Dam reservoir has inundated farmland, destroyed homes and crops, and displaced hundreds of families, while district authorities say the extent of the damage is being assessed.
Residents who spoke to Addis Standard said the rising reservoir swept away winter crops, coffee plantations, fruit trees, homes, and other property, leaving many families without shelter or livelihoods.
One resident, who requested anonymity, said the reservoir destroyed everything he owned on three hectares of land, including his home, forcing his family to flee.
The father of seven said he relocated from West Hararghe Zone to Goljoo Kebele in Borracha District in 2003. He said the flooding destroyed coffee plantations, two hectares of khat, avocado, mango and guava trees, as well as a house roofed with 80 corrugated iron sheets.
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"It destroyed everything I cultivated on my farmland," he said. "Now we are living at other people's doorsteps."
He said the family previously depended on produce harvested from their farm but now survives on food they once considered unfit to sell.
Hydropower "I have nothing fresh to feed my children," he said. "We boil whatever little food remains just so they can eat."
Discover moreGeographic ReferenceNewspaperswaterWaterfarmerAfricans & DiasporahomeMagazinesReal EstateHydropower The farmer said his family fled their home on 26 June after rising waters nearly swept away one of his children.
Natural Disasters "Schools and government offices are now filled with displaced people, and many of us are surviving by relying on others," he added.
Other residents told Addis Standard they had lived and farmed along the Dhidheessa River for more than two decades before the reservoir inundated their land.
One farmer said crops on one hectare of his two-and-a-half-hectare farm, including maize and coffee, were completely destroyed.
"This dam has severely affected our livelihoods," he said, adding that the flooding extended beyond Goljoo Kebele to 11 local administrative areas.
Residents say no warning was given
Residents alleged that authorities failed to warn communities before the reservoir began filling, despite knowing the area would be affected.
The first resident accused officials of encouraging farmers to purchase fertilizer and plant crops that were later submerged.
Real Estate "We even traveled to Finfinnee seeking a solution, but no one responded," he said. "Some people have suffered severe psychological distress. We fled drought in West Hararghe years ago, and now we have nowhere to turn."
He also claimed local officials only warned residents after crops had matured.
Residents said they are demanding answers and assistance from the government.
District says assessment underway
Borracha District officials told Addis Standard that the government is investigating the damage and identifying affected households.
A district official said experts were dispatched to inspect the affected areas after the reservoir caused flooding and that data collection is ongoing under the direction of the Oromia Disaster Risk Management Commission and the Bunno Beddelle Zonal Administration.
The official said a monitoring committee had been established and that the reservoir had affected nine kebelles. While declining to disclose the number of displaced residents, the official said authorities were also reviewing complaints that communities had received no advance warning before the flooding.
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Crops & Seed On 28 July 2026, the Borracha District Communication Office said a delegation from the Oromia Regional Government, led by Ambassador Shiferaw Jarso and District Administrator Jihad Kebede, visited affected areas to assess the impact of the Arjo-Dhidheessa Dam reservoir and discuss responses to residents' grievances.
The Arjo-Dhidheessa Irrigation Project, located between the Jimma, East Wollega and Bunno Beddelle zones, was launched at a cost of 8.3 billion Birr in 2017 and began operations in June 2026. Designed to irrigate 80,000 hectares of farmland and benefit more than 118,000 households, the project had previously faced delays attributed to design shortcomings, road infrastructure constraints and security challenges.
In a statement issued on 19 July, the project's contractor, Oromia Construction Corporation (OCC), said the reservoir has a storage capacity of 2.5 billion cubic meters of water, stretches 42 kilometers and covers approximately 12,000 hectares. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited the project during a tour of western Oromia earlier this year.
