Dam leaks: immediate action is required

National disaster management is called into question by the heartbreaking scenes of the tragedy that have befallen communities of the lower Volta Basin following the purported “controlled spillage” of the Akosombo and Kpong dams.

It is inconceivable that the circumstances have practically led to a humanitarian disaster, given that the scenario was sparked by what officials have described as an attempt to preserve the integrity of the crucial national power installation systems.

As of last Saturday, over 3,000 individuals had been forcibly removed from their homes, and among the serious crises that these communities are dealing with are those involving food, water, housing, clothes, and medical attention.

Women, children, the elderly, and those with disabilities are among the vulnerable groups suffering under the current circumstances.

We do not view this as a natural disaster because the spill was intentionally planned and carried out, albeit with little regard for the damage it would do to property and human life.

In this context, the two dams—which supply roughly 30% of Ghana’s power needs and serve as a source of treated water for over six million of the 32 million people living in the nation—became overflowing with water, surpassing their individual thresholds. Officials attributed this to the recent, favorable rainfall.

As is typical in situations like this, the leakage was the only way to prevent the possibility of the dams being damaged.

An evaluation of the magnitude of the possible devastation that could befall towns along the spillage’s path and the means by which such a disaster could be averted did not take place.

As the guardian of the river’s resources, the Volta River Authority (VRA) often hosts sensitization forums for the communities that it serves, especially when a planned exercise could have a significant negative impact on the local population.

That was also the case this year. Regretfully, the steps required to avert a calamity of this magnitude were not taken.

Even though there was advance notice of the spill, state officials nonetheless need to understand that the thousands of local inhabitants and the throngs of commercial establishments could not just pick up their bags and leave.

Recommending ordinary vulnerable people to relocate to higher or safer terrain without providing them with guidance is a pointless discourse that highlights a lack of compassion for their circumstances.

Why wasn’t there a makeshift camp with tents, bed nets, restrooms, and other emergency supplies to relieve the discomfort of those anticipated to be impacted by the spillage?

Why did so much water flow in such a short amount of time, having such a destructive effect?

The sanitary conditions and overall health of the surrounding area, especially the Volta River, are jeopardized by the inundation of cemeteries, dumpsites, and mortuaries.

The VRA and its engineers demand society take responsibility for electricity use, and they also owe society an explanation and a great deal of responsibility for their acts that impact life and livelihood.

Data is used in engineering, a serious scientific field, to predict events.

For this reason, we thought that the VRA and its engineers would have foreseen the potential effects of the spillage in order to plan and carry out mitigating actions to stop a disaster of this magnitude.

Furthermore, there had to have been an instant reaction as soon as the lack of preparation and intervention was made clear.

The emergency needs to be recognized as such, not as a cause for debate over the extent of sensitization efforts.

We owe ourselves even greater actions when our engineers are in charge of the Akosombo and Kpong spills if the Bagre Dam spill in Burkina Faso occurs with enough warning.

In order to preserve what remains, the ministerial committee tasked with this task needs to act quickly and decisively because any longer delay could have even more dire consequences.

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