Akosombo Dam Spillage: Mepe residents express disappointment over the government's slow response

Residents of Mepe in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region, who were affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage, have expressed disappointment over the government's response to their plight.

They are appealing to the government to expedite the completion of 20 stalled housing units that were promised to them after the spillage of the Akosombo Dam and also provide adequate compensation for the damage to their property.

According to them, the spillage has significantly affected their lives, and the government's response has been disappointing.

The spokesperson for the concerned residents, Godwin Kwabla Avadetsi, told Channel One TV during a press conference on Saturday, August 10, 2024, that the government has been slow in its response ten months after the spillage.

He appealed to the government to speed up the completion of a 20-unit housing unit that remains unfinished in the community.

He lamented that thousands of houses and crops, including livestock, were destroyed as a result of the water spillage, a situation that has affected their livelihoods.

"They have still not compensated the flood victims, who are still in pain over the destruction of their properties.

The government, through the Ministry of Housing, has promised to put up 100  housing units, but so far only 20 units have been started, and even so, we are reliably informed that the contractor has abandoned the project due to some challenges.

We are also not happy with the plan of the building. We have also not been compensated for the damage to our property," he noted.

The Volta River Authority (VRA) started the controlled spillage at the Akosombo and Kpong dams, both in the Eastern Region, on September 15, 2023, following excess water in both reservoirs due to appreciable levels of rainfall.

According to VRA, the spillage was to prevent the water from overtopping and compromising the integrity of the dam.

The spillage affected almost all the communities along the lower Volta Basin, resulting in widespread power cuts in the affected communities.

JKB/OGB

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