The Millennium Challenge Account Moldova signed today a USD 13 mil. contract for the rehabilitation of the Chircani-Zirnesti irrigation system funded by the U.S. Government’s Compact. The construction works expected to start this summer and complete by July 2015 will be carried out by the consortium of the Romanian companies Hidrocistrucția&Iamsat Muntenia.
The rehabilitation of the Chircani – Zirnesti system will allow for the irrigation of more than 2 200 hectares of farmland. The winning companies will also rehabilitate the drains that stretch on an area of more than 4 600 hectares.
The reconstruction and modernization of the irrigation system includes the installation of modern electro-mechanical equipment and new water intakes and control structures, replacement of the water supply network with high density polyethylene pipes with a total length of more than 62 km, replacement of hydrants, as well as reconstruction of nine module-based pump stations and installation of two or three pumps at each of them, overall amounting to 20 pumps. Additionally, according to the technical specifications the contractor will build two new drainage stations and install 3 vertical pumps at each of the new drainage stations.
The rehabilitation of the Chircani-Zirnesti irrigation system comes with an innovative approach in Moldova, more specifically modular construction of the irrigation system, which will enable every module to operate independently, thus allowing farmers more flexibility in using water for irrigation.
The modernized irrigation system will enable agricultural producers to diversify the agricultural products they grow, use water for irrigation when they need, reduce the water losses due to the use of polyethylene pipes and energy-efficient equipment.
The Chircani-Zirnesti irrigation system is the tenth system rehabilitated with Compact funds. MCA Moldova has already signed contracts amounting to about 80 million USD for the rehabilitation of 10 irrigation systems (6 on the Nistru River - Criuleni, Lopatna, Jora de Jos, Puhăceni, Roşcani and Coşniţa, and 4 on the Prut River - Blindești, Grozești, Leova and Chircani-Zîrnești)
The rehabilitation of the central irrigation systems is one of the objectives of the Compact signed in early 2010 between the Government of Moldova and the U.S. Government, acting through the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The USD 262 mil. Compact is a program implemented by the Millennium Challenge Account Moldova provided due to the generous support of the American people for poverty reduction through economic growth of Moldova.
