...Spillage of Bagre Dam-NADMO dispatches team (Sat, August 5, 2009)

A Rapid Response Team, comprising officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and personnel from the military, police and fire service, has been dispatched to the catchment areas of the Black and White Volta ahead of a probable spillage of water from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso.
The planned opening of the Bagre Dam by the Burkinabe authorities was set for Friday, September 4, and likely to cause flooding in low-lying areas along the Black and White Volta in the three northern regions.
Other communities likely to be affected by the spillage are those along the Sisili and Kulpawn rivers, both in the northern part of Ghana.
The National Co-ordinator of the organisation, Mr Kofi Portuphy, in a statement, advised communities along the Volta Lake and those along other tributaries to take precautionary measures as these water bodies were likely to overflow their banks and cause havoc.
He said a monitoring team had already been put in place and “is on the ground to respond to any emergency situation”.
Mr Portuphy, however, stressed that “NADMO has appealed to all communities living in the catchment areas of the Black and White Volta, the Sisili and Kulpawn rivers to move away from areas likely to be flooded due to the spillage to avoid any disasters”.
In an interview in Accra, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the NADMO headquarters, Major Nicholas Mensah(retd), said the organisation received a letter on the intended spillage of the dam from the Burkinabe officials about a month ago but added that they were not specific as to when the action would take place.
He, however, stated that because there was an earlier information on the issue, both the district and regional offices of NADMO prepared accordingly to forestall any eventuality.
He pointed out that with past experience in mind, there was an official discussion with the Burkinabes for an assurance that the spillage would be done in a gradual manner so as not to create too much problem for people living in the water way.
“There is a standing order on the matter to ensure that the spillage is done gradually,” he pointed out.
The PRO observed that although some living quarters could be affected if the area is flooded, majority of the areas were farmlands and settlements for fisherfolks.
He said public education was ongoing within the communities and added that some of the people living too close to the lake and the rivers had already been relocated to higher grounds.
Maj Mensah said a number of safe havens had also been identified and tents made available for use should the need arise.
The areas most likely to be affected are Binduri, Nagoliga, Natinga and Vokop in the Bawku municipality and Sapeliga, Gogo, Saka and Bazua in the Bawku West District.
The rest are Pwalugu, Wuyimma, Gbimma, Bulbiya, Soo, Kpasinkpe, Logri No 1, Yagaba, Yag-Namoo, Soh-Namoo, Kpatorigu, Fio, Chamma, Salugu and Janga all in the West Mamprusi District.