Parliament to summon Volta River Authority over Akosombo dam spillage

Following the spillage of water from the Akosombo and Kpong dams that have had adverse effects on persons living within the lower Volta basin, the Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has said it is right for the Volta River Authority (VRA) to brief the House on the spillage and how to prevent such disasters in future.

Addressing journalists in parliament on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, he said hauling VRA before the House will help lawmakers know how best they can assist the affected communities.

“I believe we may need to find some answers to some questions, and I guess the speaker is not yet here, but when the Speaker comes, we will have some discussions with him, and I believe it will be important for us to invite VRA to come and fully brief the House about what has happened, the repercussions, and how to avoid any future events,” Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.

He added that “as representatives of the people, we need to show concern. We need to have some dialogue with the Speaker to know what we will be able to do as a House to assist them.”

Meanwhile, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has ordered a parliamentary probe into the Akosombo dam spillage.

The Volta River Authority commenced the controlled water spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong dams on September 15, 2023.

This was due to a consistent rise in the inflow pattern and water level of the Akosombo reservoir.

Several communities in the Volta region were left flooded with their properties destroyed because of the spillage exercise.

While the current inflow to the reservoir is pegged at 400,000 cubic feet of water per second, the authority said it was spilling about 183,000 cubic feet of water.

Fishing activities in the Keta Municipality were subsequently banned following the high water levels.

In a communique sighted by GhanaWeb Business, the VRA announced that it was done with the spillage of water from the Akosombo dam on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.

SA/NOQ

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