Residents of the three Tongu districts of the Volta Region have been displaced following the spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong Dams.
The spillage occurred in the early hours of Wednesday (11 October 2023) and local people were forced almost immediately to vacate their homes because of the flood.
“All we want now is for the authorities to intervene by solving the problem,” Mensah Akporsu, a 76-year-old fisherman in Alikekope, told Asaase News.
“Most importantly, we want them to dredge the lake [to enable the water flow into the estuary].
“This is my home and I’ve no other place like here; so, I am not ready to relocate. I don’t want to be a stranger in anyone’s land.”
For Mensah Akporsu and many other inhabitants in the affected communities, the Volta River Authority (VRA) must act swiftly to find a way to solve the problem.
Mepe, the district capital of North Tongu, was heavily affected. Residents in the community lost most of their belongings, especially home appliances and clothes, to the flood.
The situation also affected teaching and learning in basic schools in the area as school blocks were submerged. Residents’ livelihoods were not spared, either, local officials say.
The spillage also flooded the Sogakope Bulk Supply Point of GRIDCo, the national power distribution company, which has led to a temporary shutdown of the station.
Keta, Sogakope, Anloga, Akatsi, Adidome, Abor and various islands in the districts are cut off from the national grid as a result of the flooding.
A press statement issued by the Volta River Authority – managers of the dam – said the VRA, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), has offered support to the displaced communities.
However, some residents say they are yet to receive any attention.
Meanwhile, the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has urged the VRA to slow down the spillage from the Akosombo Dam to allow for the safe evacuation of residents.
Reporting by Albert Kuzor in the Volta Region
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