Project Snapshot

  • Country / Location: Italy – Sicily (Noto Area, Siracuse)
  • Client: Hydro-TECH
  • Duration: 33 months (Feb 2020 – Dec 2022)
  • Project Cost: EUR 17.0 million (≈ PKR 5,617.61 million)
  • Consultancy Value: EUR 1.2 million (≈ PKR 396.53 million)

Narrative Description

Design, installation, testing, and quality assurance of modern agricultural irrigation machinery and precision sub-surface water-application systems, including mechanized pipelines, filtration units, emitters, and associated hydraulic components.

Objectives of Project:

  • Improve irrigation water conveyance efficiency by reducing losses.
  • Ensure equitable and uniform water distribution across olive groves.
  • Enhance water-application efficiency through precision sub-surface irrigation
  • Build local capacity for operation and maintenance of mechanized SDI systems

Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:

  • Conducted topographic and soil surveys to assess land suitability for mechanized sub-surface drip irrigation (SDI) systems and evaluated water sources, canals/wells, and pumping/hydraulic constraints for system deployment.
  • Prepared complete engineering design and technical layout of SDI machinery, including mainlines, sub-mains, laterals, emitter spacing, installation depth, discharge requirements, and filtration specifications.
  • Defined technical specifications and performance parameters for agricultural irrigation machinery and associated equipment to ensure suitability, efficiency, and compliance with approved design requirements.
  • Provided on-site implementation support and supervision for installation of agricultural irrigation machinery, buried pipelines, filtration units, emitters, and related hydraulic components, ensuring compliance with designs, specifications, and work sequencing.
  • Carried out quality assurance and inspection to verify workmanship, material quality, and conformity of installed equipment with approved specifications; documented non-conformities and ensured corrective actions prior to acceptance.
  • Performed functional and performance verification to confirm uniform and equitable water distribution, operational readiness, and system effectiveness before commissioning and handover.
  • Monitored key performance indicators (conveyance efficiency, application efficiency, operational reliability) and evaluated field-level functionality and utilization of the mechanized irrigation system with evidence-based documentation.
  • Delivered training to operators and technical staff on operation, routine maintenance, and troubleshooting of irrigation machinery, supported by practical O&M guidance to reduce downtime and ensure sustainability.
  • Achieved measurable improvements in water-use efficiency and reduced conveyance losses through mechanized buried pipeline and filtration systems, supporting sustainable agricultural productivity through precision mechanization.