The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a symbolic project where Ethiopians have demonstrated strength by building their future under several pressures, General Manager of the construction of GERD, Engineer Kifle Horo remarked. The corner stone for the construction of GERD was laid down on April 2, 2011 under the scorching sun of Guba Mountain cruising through complex challenges and is now on the threshold for completion. Ethiopians have demonstrated their dedication for the realization of GERD which is the beacon of their unity. GERD has sustained every challenge that ranged from hurdles created by wrong political decisions to a escalation of proxy wars. General Manager of the construction of GERD, Eng. Kifle Horo told ENA GERD is a shared project of all Ethiopians built with their flesh and blood. He said the dam is now 99.5 percent complete while the saddle dam has been 100 percent completed. The overall construction of this flagship project, which is a showcase for the unity of the peop le of Ethiopia, is now 96.8 per cent completed, Kifle said. The General Manager stressed that GERD has not been constructed by a combination of cement and concrete slabs but also the result of the relentless sacrifices paid by Ethiopians in their flesh and blood. He added that the reformist government had faced a lot of challenges and pressures after the construction was continued in a more efficient manner. Ethiopians from all corners of the country and at overseas have paid for the construction of the dam not only with their finance but have also sacrificed their lives to ensure the construction of the dam to come to fruition, Kifle added. Ethiopians and foreign citizens of Ethiopian origin in the diaspora have also voiced to the rest of the world about the legitimacy of the project, its fairness and a matter of survival for the people of Ethiopia on all international forums, he noted. The General Manager further explained that the people of Ethiopia, the government and security forces have manage d to effectively repulse the international campaigns to deter the country from constructing the dam and have emerged victorious through coordinated efforts they made. Four turbines of GERD have already started generating hydroelectric power while the entire construction of the project is expected to be completed in a year's time. Source: Ethiopian News Agency