Ghana’s Volta Dam Spillage: Lessons Learned and the Way Forward
The thought of a dam spillage and/or breakage is not very comfortable: it could be rather ominous, threatening, worrying and menacing. And especially for those living in the water’s flow path the thought could be a warning most gloomy. The Volta River Authority, (VRA) managers of Ghana’s premier hydro-electric dam at Akosombo in the Eastern Region of the country began spilling water from the dam in September 2023 to protect it from overtopping. Rainfall in the Volta Basin for more than a decade has not been enough to fill the dam, and the facility had for that period of time not been able to fill up to capacity until this year. The good news is that so far there have not been any reports of loss of life in spite of the spill.
The floods have affected more than 26,000 people. And the loss of property includes farms et al. Low-lying areas including Asuogyaman in the Eastern Region, Mepe, Battor, Sogakope, Mafi, Adidome, in the Volta Region and Ada were among settlements that were flooded with homes and buildings submerged and people displaced as well as property running into several millions of cedis. Among the businesses affected are hospitality businesses and recreational centers along the lake. According to Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyamike, “the impact has been mainly on the operational areas, the outdoor sitting areas have been generally affected.” Naturally patronage of the hotels will also be affected. “Those hotels on the riverbanks will have challenges from the spillage,” Dr. Ackah Nyamike stressed.
Tilapia farms have been washed away on the lower-lying areas of the lake. The fishing industry in general will be impacted as the water will be contaminated by rotten animals and fish from upstream. It will take some time before work on the various farmlands, and tilapia farms can be revived for production. As a matter of fact, the same goes for the hospitality industry as well as schools and many other businesses. Diseases like bilharzia, onchocerciasis, and cholera, among others that have been put under control for some time now might re-emerge from the spillage.
Many citizens and communities in the spill-way have also had to evacuate to avoid deaths and injuries, leaving with whatever little property is salvaged from what’s left of their belongings.
News, opinions and comments on the spillage in the little less than three weeks of the spill from the mass media and social media from politicians, citizens and in general have been a mixed bag of condemnation and accusations of the VRA and government.
Amandla has noted the diverse political connotations given to the sad event and concludes that it is not as much a political event to be so interpreted and is unfortunate. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, leading a delegation to Mepe is reported to have made a statement that is interpreted as being petty for a national leader and insensitivity. He, however, admitted his responsibility as president for the entire country and would ensure that his government would provide whatever help he could afford as national leader. We, however, appeal to political leaders to consider the sad incident as a unifier and to offer any assistance to the victims on no other grounds than patriotic. Many politicians have appealed against playing the blame game of the unfortunate debacle and we only hope they will take their own advice.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has assured victims of free healthcare and that those without the NHIS card would be attended to. Victims have also been advised to be mindful of environmental cleanliness. The GHS has assured the victims that large quantities of chemicals as well as mosquito nets are being sent to them.
The VRA has been accused of poor planning and insensitivity for allowing the spillage to flood the area and cause the havoc it did. In response, however, Edward Ekow Obeng-Kenzo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the VRA notes that the VRA ensured the save evacuation of victims of the floods. The proactive response of the people also contributed to the absence of any fatal incidents that so far prevented any fatalities. “We can say for a fact that per the record so far, the communities really knew what was coming and were prepared.” VRA claims too that it provided enough information and warning before the incident.
We beg to think otherwise.
We may appreciate the DCEO’s statement, but we thought the engineers should have gone beyond merely preparing the communities for the floods. Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia on his visit to Mepe questioned if the flood could not be redirected toward the sea to reduce hardship.
We also ask if the floods could not be redirected to ensure that there could be less destruction but more conservation of water to be utilized for agriculture and even fishing after any such spillage. Surely, NADMO, Police, and the Army are on hand to offer invaluable assistance to victims, more needs to be done by way of innovative engineering to ensure less stress occasioned by the floods. It is important to note that the Ghanaian spirit of self-help is on display as help is flowing in from various sources to assuage suffering and discomfort.
We have learned of the menacing effects of a dam break and advice the VRA and the engineering faculties of the various institutions of higher learning to cooperate and design a more enduring antidote to the periodic spillage of the country’s premier source of hydro-electric power. We also advise more frequent maintenance of the dam to be able to nip any break in the bud. Current weather report shows that the rains are abating and can help reduce the water to a comfortable level in the dam. Merely relocating people could only save lives, but what about life after the spill.
The way forward may include relocating communities in the pathway of the spillage, but could that be an immediate priority? Even if it is, will the economy be able to afford the huge costs involved? It might mean building new structures on higher ground; it might also involve compensating for losses incurred in the flood for resettlement; and bailouts for businesses affected.
Amandla wants to know if the nation can afford it.
Posted by