Spillage of Bagre and Kompienga dams soon

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has announced that its partner SONABEL, the Agency responsible for the Management the Bagre and Kompienga dams in Burkina Faso will start the annual spillage from today, August 5 to Monday, August 10.

It, therefore, urged communities downstream along the White Volta lake to move to higher grounds and safe havens in all such affected communities.

According to NADMO, the spillage is due to the rate of rise in the water levels of the two dams.

The current level of the Kompienga dam, as of today, August 5, 2020, is 172.41m with the rate of rise at 38.45 per cent as against 28.66 per cent the same period last year.

An official statement signed by Mr Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh, the Director-General of NADMO and copied the GNA in Accra, said NADMO following its standing agreement with its partner, SONABEL, the Agency responsible for the Management of the Bagre and Kompienga Dams in Burkina Faso, has gotten a report that due to the rate of rise in the water levels of the two dams, the Authorities of SONABEL have decided to begin the spillage of the two dams.

It said: "The level of the Bagre Dam as of today being 234.62m with its rate of rise at 94.42 per cent as against 60.58 per cent same period last year. Due to the rapid rise in the water level of the Bagre Dam, the opening of the dam valves may be affected as soon as the level reaches 234.75m and that may happen any day between today 5th August 2020, and Monday 10th August 2020".

It said due to the possible effect of the spillage of the two dams on areas downstream the White Volta, some communities along the river are likely to be affected, as in flooding and NADMO would want such communities to be on the alert and prepare themselves for the spillage and its impact on them and their activities.

The statement said as a result of the report from SONABEL and its likely impact on communities downstream, which are mostly in Ghana as listed above, the Management of NADMO has automatically launched ‘’Operation ThunderBolt 2020’’ with immediate effect.

NADMO has thus dispatched its Men to the Districts in the affected regions to prepare the people in the area and to train them to manage the effect of the spillage on their Communities.

The NADMO Team would be based in Tamale and Bolga but the training will go on in two zones.

"We entreat all the people living along the White Volta and all the affected areas to co-operate with the NADMO Staff and the supporting staff from the District Assemblies to make the Operation a success to help save lives and properties," it added.

Areas likely to be directly affected by the spillage are Bawku West, Nabdam, Talensi, and Pulsiga, all in the Upper East region.

Others to be affected in the North East region are West Mamprusi, Mamprugu, Magdori, and Mamprusi.

Kumbugu, Karaga, Tolon, Savelugu are areas to be affected in the Northern region.

Daboya, Central Gonna (Buipe), and Lawra in the Savannah and Lawra West regions, respectively will also be affected.