It is the second largest dam in Morocco in terms of the volume of work and also one of the first in the Sebou hydraulic basin in terms of capacity after that of the Al Wahda dam.
This water infrastructure project, launched in 2022, represents an investment of 4 billion dirhams and is part of the National Program for the Supply of Drinking Water and Irrigation (PNAEPI) 2020-2027 aimed at securing water resources of the country.
According to the latest information communicated by the Ministry of Equipment and Water, the completion rate of the dam has reached 26%.
This significant progress demonstrates the ministry’s commitment to responding to the challenges posed by the water problem, in accordance with the High Royal Guidelines, with the main objective of guaranteeing the constant supply of drinking water for the entire population, while also satisfying irrigation needs.
In a statement to MAP, Mouhcine Bahtat, head of development of the Ratba dam under the Ministry of Equipment and Water, stressed that construction work is progressing despite the technical challenges encountered.
He specified that the site installations have been completed and that the earthworks and support works are at around 90% progress.
Mr. Bahtat also detailed the progress of the temporary diversion work of Wadi Aoulay, which is nearing completion with a rate of 95%. This phase required the excavation of 650,000 m³ of spoil, the pouring of 110,000 m³ of concrete for the construction of three sluices, and the use of 700,000 m³ of backfill for the upstream cofferdam integrated into the body of the dam.
The completion of this diversion, scheduled for the end of September 2024, will protect the site against the 100-year flood with a flow rate of 2,610 m³/s.
The official indicated that this is an exceptional decision taken in accordance with the Royal Guidelines calling for activating the construction of hydraulic works in the Kingdom.
“The backfilling work on the body of the dam began before the end of the diversion of the wadi, making it possible to install approximately 10% of the body of the dam,” he noted.
Concerning the ancillary works, Mr. Bahtat specified that the spillway has progress of 25%, the bottom draining work has reached 2.5% and the final access to the dam has progress of around 70%. .
The Ratba dam, which will be the second largest in the Sebou hydraulic basin, after Al Wahda, will have an estimated capacity of more than one billion cubic meters, with planned annual inflows of 351 million m³. It will also play a leading role in strengthening the supply of drinking water and irrigation and will provide flood protection and hydroelectric power generation.
This project also has significant socio-economic implications, generating nearly 1.5 million workdays during its construction phase. Once completed, it is expected to boost the local agricultural economy and potentially promote the development of eco-tourism in the region.
According to officials from the Ministry of Equipment and Water, the impoundment of the dam is planned for the end of 2028, with the objective of storing floods from the 2028/2029 rainy period.
Thanks to proactive management and the efforts made to accelerate its completion, the project should be completed with a gain of one year on the initially planned deadlines.