The Volta River Authority (VRA) has hosted a sensitisation session to keep people in the Asuogyaman and Lower Volta Basin informed about its future emergency preparedness activities.
The programme, held in the Asuogyaman District Assembly at Atimpoku in the Eastern Region, was part of the VRA’s ongoing efforts to keep local people aware and prepared for any catastrophes.
Mr Benjamin Arhin Sackey, the VRA’s Director of Environment and Sustainable Development, said the event was intended to inform stakeholders about what could happen if there was a spill.
He said the authority would implement a cautious spill strategy, which would involve spilling on a lesser scale to decrease the volume of spillage and prevent further harm during the following phase.
Mr Francis Abban, the Volta River Authority’s Cooperate Communications Manager, acknowledged that concerns and rumours regarding a potential spillage had arisen due to the consequences of last year’s disaster.
He however gave the reassurance that no decision had been made yet, stressing that the engineering department was assessing the water levels in relation to the dam’s holding capacity.
He said it was important for everyone to be calm since they had not decided to release any water from the dam.
“We are only informing the residents along the lake and lower basin about how they can stay safe” he stated.
He said nothing should scare people and that this was only an annual information exchange exercise regarding emergency preparedness
“There are so many things that are unpredictable in life, but the one thing that we can be sure of is that when we are prepared in the event of an emergency, we know what to do” he added.
Ms Akosua Owusu-Efaa, an Engineer with the VRA’s Water Resources and Renewable Energy Department, in a presentation, said in case of spill, “it won’t have any impact on Asuogyaman, Shai-Osudoku, Lower Manya Krobo, and other areas.”
However, to minimise the impact on buildings developed along the river channels, a precautionary spill discharge of 50,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) would be contained within the river channels to avoid any damage.
She stated that flooding was most common in low-lying areas and river channels where development had occurred, and such vulnerable areas included the Keta Lagoon protected area, Havui, and Azizanya, which had all experienced periodic flooding due to high tides and severe rainfall.
Ms Owusu-Efaa emphasised that flood-prone communities, such as those near the Keta Lagoon and riverbanks, would be notified ahead of time of any potential spill as part of a proactive communication approach to minimise the impact on these communities.
Ms Mavis Opokua Akonnor, the District Chief Executive of Asuogyaman, praised the VRA’s thorough and inclusive approach to community participation.
She highlighted the importance of including multiple stakeholders in such vital discussions.
She urged attendees who included assembly members to share the information they acquired during the discussions on emergency preparedness with their community members and households to help save lives.
Other attendees included traditional authorities, religious leaders, security agencies, and community members.
GNA