By Elizabeth Larkwor Baah
Ada, July 19, GNA-A stakeholder engagement to solicit ideas and establish practical approaches towards the next spilling of the Akosombo Dam has been held at the Ada-East District Assembly.
The one-day event, organised by the Volta River Authority (VRA), brought together stakeholders from both Ada East and West District Assemblies, including traditional authorities, religious leaders, security officers, traders, and farmers, among others.
Mr Jerryson Kofi Ayih, the Coordinating Director representing the Ada East District Chief Executive (DCE), called on all stakeholders to join forces to enhance smooth disaster management in the district and the country at large.
Mr Ayih stressed the need to exchange viable knowledge to protect and preserve the lives of the indigenes and the environment at large from the possible damage that could emanate from the next phase of the spillage.
Mr. Benjamin Arhin Sackey, the Director of Environment and Sustainable Development at the VRA, stated that the event was to inform the stakeholders of what might happen if there is a spill.
He disclosed that the authority would adopt a precautionary spill policy where the spilling would be done on a smaller scale to reduce the volume of spillage and prevent further damage during the next phase.
Mr Sackey said: “The dam is a structure, and it can only contain as much, so once the water volumes get high, we need to release it because we cannot allow the dam itself to break. We are talking about a dam that is about 85 metres high.
“If it breaks, I can assure you, it will be a disaster for the whole country. So, we need to allow for the release of the water.”
He assured the public that the right measures were being taken to prevent spills, so there was no need to worry, adding that the VRA would officially inform the public
when the next spillage would take place.
Ms. Akosua Owusu-Efaa, an engineer at the Water Resources and Renewable Energy Department of the VRA, identified during a presentation that the spillage was likely to affect some communities in the Ada East, North, South, and Central Tongu, as well as Anloga and Keta districts.
Ms Owusu-Efaa explained that most of the communities had built their structures in the river channels, while others were already exposed to lagoons and wetlands, urging Ghanaians to stop building close to the river.
Mr Ebenezer Teye Nartey, the Ada East District Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), said an amount of GHC 95,000.00 was spent during the 2023 spillage; however, only GHC 15,000.00 of the expenditure had been paid, leaving an arrears of GHC 80,000.00.
Mr Nartey mentioned that the number of people that were brought to the safe havens was greater than what the department anticipated, resulting in additional renting of canopies, chairs, and mattresses, coupled with the processes of evacuation, among others, for the people’s comfort, which led to the high debt incurred.
He appealed to corporate bodies, philanthropists, and traditional authorities to support disaster management in the district.
GNA