Every community in the lower Volta Basin received sufficient information regarding spills – VRA
All towns in the lower Volta basin that have experienced flooding due to the Akosombo Dam leak must have received sufficient information and education about the need to evacuate to higher ground prior to the spill, according to the Volta River Authority (VRA).
According to the VRA, the most recent simulation on a potential spill due to the dam’s ongoing water input was conducted in May 2023. Volta
On Monday morning, October 16, 2023, Edward Ekow Obeng-Kenzo, the Deputy Chief Executive of the VRA responsible for Engineering and Operations, stated in a radio broadcast that Graphic Online listened to on Citi FM in Accra that all communities were well notified and that warnings had been sent.”
“We started spilling out small volumes of water hoping that the communities would start moving out themselves because we are not God to say that the rain will stop so we will close the gates tomorrow or the next day. We thought that activity would be carried out, but as I always say, people normally say let us wait and see what will happen, Some were caught anyway because of the volumes and the speed of the water coming, you cannot say that you can quickly outrun it and save all your properties in it. And as you know, most people will like to evacuate everything in their room before leaving, and that also affects the evacuation of the people. So in a nutshell, we really educated them, and they knew what they were supposed to do accordingly,” the deputy CEO said.
We spoke with all relevant agencies, including NADMO, the Fire Service, and district assemblies, in November of 2022, stating that we intended to conduct a simulation exercise in the second quarter of 2023 due to the high water levels we were observing in the lake.
“That exercise was completed in May 2023. Every community was notified and participated in the execution of this exercise.” Volta Volta
Mepe
“Mepe was even the center of the exercise; the emergency operational center was established in Mepe, and that was where we carried out that exercise, knowing the nature of the land in Mepe because it is a low-lying area.”
“The district assemblies were involved, radio stations, the media were involved, it was communicated that something of this sort could happen and when it happens, becareful, we even termed that exercise ‘Da wo ho so’ – [Be ready]. And when we saw that the levels were going up, somewhere in August we started communicating also, so somewhere 13th September we issued out letters to all the agencies, which were concerned that this is what is going to happen…, the protocols, emergency preparedness plans were activated.
“We started spilling out small volumes of water hoping that the communities will start moving out themselves because we are not God to say that the rains will stop so we will close the gates tomorrow or the next day. We thought that activity will be carried out, but as I always say, people normally say let us wait and see what will happen, some were caught anyway, because the volumes and the speed of the water coming, you cannot say that you can quickly outrun it and save all your properties in it. And as you know most people will like to evacuate everything in their room before leaving and that also affected the evacuation of the people. So in a nutshell, we really educated them and they knew what they were supposed to do accordingly,” the deputy CEO said.
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