Name: Girma Allar
Career: Professional Engineer
Birth place: 1948, Addis Ababa
High School: Hailesilassie School
American University: 1970-1974 learned Mechanical Engineer
George Washington University: 1975 Management Engineering
He spent more than thirty years in the field. He was the director of Construction Building Inspection of the City of Baltimore. Once he was also the president of the professional engineers in DC. Now, he is nominated again to be the president of professional engineers. Currently, he is involving in city building in African countries. He is the head of the new city program in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria. The Ethiopian Herald had a time (of togetherness) with professional Engineer Girma Allaro.
The Ethiopian Herald: What is the most challenging thing in Engineering?
Engineer Girma : For me, engineering is an interesting field. But the most challenging thing I encounter is related to the shortage infrastructural facilities like water and electricity. Air or environmental pollution also affects me.
Because, if one comes to Ethiopia and other African countries today, diseases like cancer and diabetes are the results of polluted water and air in the towns and cities. Especially, polluted water is the main cause for the diseases. The other challenge is the unavailability of building code. We have buildings in Africa including Ethiopia but we do not have a building code. We do not have laws and regulations in our code system. We lack such a law that can manage water, building, electric and other systems in the cities and towns.
Introducing an international building code is very important. On the other hand, the aforementioned challenges are not inconspicuous in the first world countries too. When I was the director of the Baltimore City, I wrote the building code.
We came up with the highest form of building code. It entailed clean water, clean air and noise-free environment. That means, the city guarantees clean environment for all. MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) we take all trashes of the city to one place to turn them to steam that could create electric energy to the city.
Herald: What should be done to solve infrastructure-related problems in cities and towns of developing countries?
Engineer Girma: These problems are not complex. They can be solved at no cost. The issue is not calculating millions and billions; it rather needs an intellectual association. In Baltimore, when we re-wrote the building code, we handled things at a zero cost.
Usually, it cost million dollars. But I organized the whole city under five divisions and one inspection. I was the director and I gave the order to each division to revise their code. Within less than a year, nine hundred page revisions were done without any cost. The global village has turned a competition field. The winners are always the leaders. Here in Africa, competition among countries is evident.
In the redhot competition, the one who has the best, air, water, building code and zoning system will take the upper hand. To compete, we need create commissions. Commissions of infrastructures and commission of building code, which are the main solutions for the challenges in Africa. This has a direct relationship with our real estates.
In 1960, the real estates in the USA went up but in 1970 it went down due to the lack of infrastructural facilities and social movement in the country. In addition, it went down again in 1989 due to the economic recession world’s economy suffered. But from 1990 to date, the real estate in the USA is on the boom. No one can compete with USA. Recently, the 24.4 billion dollar projects had been given to Nigeria.
If we prove remiss in taking our infrastructural facilities to new heights, it will challenge the country’s potential of standing shoulder high in continuing the seat of continental and international organization. We have to wake up and work on it.
Solution one is improving the problems regarding infrastructural facilities— water and electricity among others— and building code. Two is to build new cities. If Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria managed to do it there is no way we cannot do it. In Ethiopia, we have the people, land, water and other resources, we can do it. Prime Minister Abiy has to think building new cities.
Herald: What mechanisms could troubleshoot Addis Ababa’s sanitation problem?
Engineer Girma: Once, professor Niguse said, the two month rain saved us. Because, we have only two rainy moths. But this is a big problem. We have septic tanks and cross connections. Now, hundred fifty nine pipes are going to be cross connected.
When I was a graduate student at Washington University, the US established EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Because the water in the US was not only polluted it was almost poisoned like the case in Addis today. But the then US President established the EPA. Now, we need that kind of regulation in Ethiopia and other African countries. The Prime Minister has to push the idea to the African Union.
But Addis, the solution is creating an institution, because the problem lies there. Actually, we are not in a danger zone in air pollution like China and other developed countries. We can easily control it. The only air problem we have in Addis emanates from vehicles.
My recommendation is to allow vehicles a green light of service for five years and giving tax advantages to people to purchase new cars. As simple as that we can solve the problem. That is what we did in Baltimore. We have to wake up before it touches our international institutions. If the PM is willing to do it, we can establish the institutions within six months to solve the problems.
Herald: How did you observe the buildings in Addis?
Engineer Girma: It is not the edifice we look at first, but what kinds of building code Ethiopia or Addis Ababa has. Addis Ababa has no 21st century building code. Whatever we do in Addis, we lack the site plan, infrastructural facilities and cross connections. The buildings are not lacking in magnificence, our engineers and architects are past masters in the craft. The short fall is on the government’s side. We need enforcement commissions, EPA and among others.
Herald: How did you see the role of engineering in creating a job?
Engineer Girma: Believe it or not what I am talking about is million dollar job to be created. Left and right, we have technical schools in Ethiopia. But the institutions and the universities that created the technical school have to ensure practical knowledge. For example, code enforcement that is one thing that is going to create jobs.
Monitoring the implementation of the building code could create additional job opportunities. Of course when we give a chance to other countries they could shower us with dollars. But they will download their entire products and bring people to do the job. But how to be smart is looking at the world today. That is what we call PPP (Public Private Partnerships).
Let we give a chance to the private partnership to tackle the job. If you give the job including the management to foreigners, they are going to import man power and materials including pipes.
The only thing they need is their interest rate. Our contractors and engineers are capable to manage tasks. Let us use our universities. We cannot affect a change and development by importing everything from outside. Let us work on ways of strengthening ours. Then, we can create to millions job opportunities and develop the country.
Herald: What is your take on the zoning system in Ethiopia?
Engineer Girma: Addis Ababa was built 132 years ago. Still, we do not have standard of zoning. But in the developed county, the zoning code is revised every year. Again institutions have to be established without any cost. I want to convey a message to the Prime Minister. “Use us, use professionals; things are going to be well.”
Here, we do not have separated zones for industries, residential houses and business areas, among others. For example, look at the industries around Kality sub city. They are established in residential areas. In addition, they release their untreated wastes to the rivers which is very dangerous to the surrounding farmers. We need to work on it before it takes more life.
Herald: How did you see the new Addis Ababa’s project by PM and Mayor? Engineer Girma: The plans are very interesting. Before that we need to have a well-developed building code, zoning system and rule and regulation of construction in the country with more emphasis on the capital Addis. Let the Prime Minister refer the plan to us, we can review it with two or three days and uplift it to the American standard.
Colleagues and I reviewed Kenyan, Gahanna and Nigerian projects. This is our business because we are Ethiopians. We are much more concerned. Let us extend help to the country without any cost. The problem in developing countries is the project design it is only the one phase of architectural design They will never submit the complete plan.
Complete plan includes Architectural, planning, mechanical and electric aspects. The country is protected by its citizens. Besides politics, such a move is the most important must do to develop the country. Regarding the water project, there will be thousands of septic tanks. There could be interconnections. That could poison the water. First, let us have a zoning system for all. Addis Ababa’s revivers’ project needs to get building code before it gets started. Thinking positive is good.But here we have to adopt scientific ways. The Holy Book of industries and cities is the building code. Let us have a commission and a building code. Let us eliminate septic tanks. Otherwise things are going to go wrong.
In addition, we need a regulation to build new cities. Everything is going to be possible within the association and commission. The re-engineering and designing Addis presupposes not solely money but intellectual power. We are not going to beg China or America to give us money; we can muster our own power from our investors.
Citizens need to see the most beautiful and sought-after- touristdestination Addis. Not only the set of intellectuals willing to give voluntary service. I can bring many Ethiopian and professional engineers’ without border from the USA. That is a cost free service to the country.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition May 26/2019
BY AMBO MEKASA
