Ghana’s Minister for Energy Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has defended the recent decision by the Volta River Authority to undertake controlled spillage of the Akosombo Dam which caused severe flooding in parts of the Volta and Greater Accra Regions.
According to him, the exercise was the only option to prevent the West African nation’s largest hydroelectric power dam from collapsing.
Briefing Ghana’s Parliament on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, about the exercise and measures put in place to bring relief to victims, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh explained that the VRA was forced to take drastic action due to the unusually high levels of water in the dam’s reservoir.
“If the VRA had not been proactive in spilling this year, the water coming into the reservoir would have overtopped Akosombo Dam, which would have had an unimaginable catastrophic impact on the people,” Dr. Opoku Prempeh said.
The Minister acknowledged the disruption caused by the spill but insisted that it was a necessary step to protect the dam and the people downstream.
He also assured the affected communities that the Government is committed to providing relief and support.
The state-owned power generation company, VRA, on September 15, 2023, commenced controlled spillage of the Akosombo Dam due to high inflows into the dam.
The spillage, however, resulted in flooding of some communities downstream, displacing thousands of people with some houses submerged.
As part of its humanitarian efforts, the VRA set aside millions of Ghana cedis to provide relief items to ease the burden of the victims.
Aside from VRA, both public and private institutions and individuals have made substantial donations of relief items to victims, with some radio and television stations still soliciting support for them.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
