North-East communities inaccessible after Bagre Dam spillage

Several communities in the North-East Regiodn have become inaccessible after days of rainfall and the ensuing spillage of water from the Bagre Dam.

John Kwaku Alhassan, North-East regional director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), confirmed that two people had been killed as a result of the dam spillage. Efforts are being made to confirm the other deaths.

“We lost two lives and, in some communities, some farmlands have been submerged in water,” Alhassan told Starr FM.

Huge expanses of farmland have also been submerged by water from the Bagre Dam, with several farmers losing their livelihoods and farm produce.

Business activity in several parts of the communities has been suspended and traders will have to wait for the water to subside, because roads and bridges have been cut off.

Since last week, traders have not been able to access some market areas, including the Mamprugu Moagduri district capital, Yagaba, where the market was closed to business in response to the floods.

There are reports that the Planting for Food and Jobs programne is likely to be affected heavily by the devastating flooding caused by the spillage and rains.

Heavy spillage

Speaking to Asaase Radio’s North East regional correspondent, Dokurugu Alhassan, some of the farmers said this year will be tough for them because they have bank loans to pay but their farm produce has been washed away.

They called on NADMO for urgent assistance. The farmers said they need assistance which will provide certain relief items to enable them to survive the rest of the year, because they depend solely on their farm produce for survival.

Information sent to NADMO from the Société Nationale Burkinabè d’Électricité (SONABEL), the agency responsible for management of the Bagre and Kompienga Dams, showed that the volumes of spilt water could be heavier this year.

* Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online.
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