A regional based political party, the Boro Democratic Party (BDP) disclosed on Tuesday various entities and individuals are building illegal human settlements and businesses around the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project.
The GERD project which started construction in April 2011 in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region on the banks of Blue Nile river is currently 90 percent complete according to Ethiopian government figures.
The dam project which is being built on an area around 40 kilometers from the Sudanese border is expected to generate up to 5,150 Mega Watts of electricity once its construction is completed.
In a press statement, BDP said various entities and individuals have started illegal hotel construction and other types of settlements even before the dam construction is complete.
The statement also alleged illegal fishing, illegal boat services and illegal human settlements are starting to form in the manmade lake near GERD.
The Boro Democratic Party condemned such un-transparent actions which warned could risk conflict in the future and urged regional and federal government administrations to have clear policies and actions to deal with illegal activities surrounding Ethiopia’s largest energy project.
“The BDP also underlines the need for the Benishangul-Gumuz region population to equitably benefit from the dam’s construction,’’ the statement further said.
The Boro Democratic Party didn’t disclose the identifies and names of the illegal entities and individuals it said were undertaking illegal construction near the GERD site.
