The Deputy Chief Executive In charge of Engineering and Operation at the Volta River Authority (VRA) says the flooding incident along the lower basin of the Volta River as a result of the ongoing spillage of excess water in the Akosombo Dam is happening as envisaged.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Edward Ekow Obeng-Kenzo noted that his outfit’s prediction ensured the safe evacuation of victims of the floods.
He also commended the proactive response of the communities in the dam’s vicinity, which contributed to the absence of any fatal incidents thus far.
“We can say for a fact that, per the record so far, we think the communities really knew what was coming and were prepared. They took precautionary measures and evacuated themselves, which is why as of today, we don’t have any fatal incident in the case of someone getting drowned in the water, or someone trapped in their homes,” he told host Samson Lardy Anyenini on Saturday.
Mr Obeng-Kenzo further stressed the competence of VRA in managing the situation and ensuring the safety of residents.
According to him, VRA is an experienced institution and not overwhelmed, adding that “what we’re seeing is as we predicted it.”
This is not the first time VRA is spilling water from the Akosombo Dam. With previous instances occurring in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1991, and most recently in 2010. These measures were undertaken to avert the risk of the dam’s water levels exceeding its capacity.
However, on the same show, the Director of International Relations for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alex Segbefia, believed there was a lack of communication about this particular spillage.
According to him, the VRA failed to warn residents about the extent of volume and damage the water that would be spilt could cause.
“This is not the first time VRA has spilled water from the dam. They’ve done it over the years, but why is it that this particular has caused this extent of damage and it seems a lot of the people did not even know about it beforehand,” he stated.
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