Parts of Volta Region floods due to Akosombo dam spillage
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Residents in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region are grappling with the devastating floods caused by the Akosombo Dam spillage.
The Volta River Authority (VRA) has notified residents in the lower Volta Basin of the situation, but the lack of prepared evacuations and destruction has left many struggling to recover.
Felix Ayiku, a resident of Mepe, expressed concern about the lack of communication with the community, stating that social media was not the best way to communicate with them. He also noted that about 2,000 households in his community have been inundated by floodwater. Ayiku emphasized the need for adequate education to prepare for such events and saw elderly people struggling to access water.
“You will see a press release on social media which is not very good for the local people, because, a lot of people don’t even have smartphones, the old people don’t understand how these things work,” he said via Joy SMS on Thursday, October 12.
“Social media is not the best way. There are letters flying around but [only] we the young people see them. We saw it, we tried to [understand] what they really mean.”
The overflow of water from the dam has forced the shutdown of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) substation in Sogakope, with the company stating that power will be restored as soon as the situation improves. Below is a press release by GRIDCo informing the public about the shutdown.
Currently, more than 500 households are grappling with the inundation as residents desperately attempt to salvage their belongings.
The floods have already claimed properties valued at thousands of Ghana Cedis, including numerous buildings.
Meanwhile, the VRA, in another press release says it has collaborated with the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) to offer support to communities affected by the ongoing spilling of water from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams through the presentation of relief items.
SOURCE:MY JOY ONLINE
