Authorities in Burkina Faso have announced plans to begin spilling excess water from the Bagre Dam today, Monday, August 19, 2024.
This was announced by the Power Utility of Burkina Faso, SONABEL, which announced that the decision was as a result of rising water levels upstream.
Bagre Dam is a multi-purpose dam on the White Volta located near Bagre Village in Burkina Faso.
The dam has a hydropower plant that generates about 16 megawatts of power.
Excess water that is spilled often leads to flooding in some parts of Northern Ghana and the Volta Region, which is the downstream of the dam.
In 2023, some committees along the Volta Lake in the Republic of Ghana got flooded, with Mepe being the hardest hit after the Volta River Authority (VRA) embarked on water spillage following a heavy inflow into the Akosombo hydroelectric power dam.
A letter by the White Volta Basin Secretariat of the Water Resources Commission addressed to regional ministers and NADMO directors in the Upper East, North East, and Northern regions urged residents to take the necessary precautions.
The letter, issued on August 16, noted that the upstream water level of the Bagre Dam had reached 232.82 metres and was continuing to rise, making the spillage necessary.
“Update from SONABEL this afternoon [Friday afternoon] indicates that the upstream level of the Bagre Dam is 232.82m and rising.
“Consequently, SONABEL will commence the spillage of water from the Bagre Dam by Monday, August 19, 2024,” the letter said.
The Commission further advised residents along the White Volta River to take precautionary measures to avoid any adverse impact of the spillage.
“This is to inform you of your further action relating to the flood management. We will furnish you with additional information on this matter as this becomes available to us,” the Commission added.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com