Energy Minister justifies VRA’s ‘controlled spillage’
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But for the controlled spillage of water from the Akosombo and Kpong dams by the Volta River Authority (VRA), the dams would have been destroyed, leading to unimaginable effects on Ghanaians, Energy Minister Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh has said.
Apart from preserving the dams, Dr Opoku Prempeh indicated that the controlled spillage also led to the protection of lives.
“The controlled spillage led to the preservation of lives, the Akosombo Dam and Sogakope Bridge,” he said while briefing Parliament on Wednesday, November 8 on the spillage of water from the dams by the VRA that caused flood in parts of the Volta Region.
Apart from preserving the dams, Dr Opoku Prempeh indicated that the controlled spillage also led to the protection of lives.
“The controlled spillage led to the preservation of lives, the Akosombo Dam and Sogakope Bridge,” he said while briefing Parliament on Wednesday, November 8 on the spillage of water from the dams by the VRA that caused flood in parts of the Volta Region.
“Thankfully no death has been recorded,” he stressed.
He further indicated that the VRA would spill again if need be.
“We are still observing the inflows and if it becomes necessary we will spill. If the VRA had not been proactive, the water would have overtopped the dam which would have had unimaginable catastrophe on the people,…spillage was the only option to ensure the safety of the dam.”
It is recalled that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the VRA, Mr Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa said the lake was experiencing inflows more than expected hence the spillage in that magnitude.
“We are on phase II [of the spillage] right now and it is a cycle. It is normal at this time of the year for us to experience inflows. The difference is that we are getting more than expected and to safeguard this dam means that we have to spill water, that is the standard operation for any hydro dam but the inflows that we are seeing now are in excess.
“Definitely, as the cycle goes through this will recede so we are hoping it will recede in the next time,” he told journalists on Thursday, October 12.
“The spilling may continue even though we are anticipating that the levels may drop down to phase 1, which was started on September 15 but of course, we did not have much excess as we are seeing now, this is an emergency as we have seen from the beginning.
“Whether dredging or no dredging it is an emergency. The volume of water that is coming into the lake right now which we have to throw out, it means that we need to evacuate people from wherever they are to ensure they are safe until the inflows recede,” he added.
The VRA was accused of neglecting its responsibilities in the Lower Volta Basin hence the huge impact of flood caused by spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams on communities.
source 3news
