Communities along White Volta Basin warned about spillage

Communities and farmers living along the White Volta Basin in the Upper East Region have been warned about the possibility of the spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso.

Mr Mark Woyongo, the Upper East Regional Minister, told journalists at a press conference that information received from the Electricity Cooperation, SONABEL, of Burkina Faso, through Ghana Embassy in Ouagadougou, showed that there had been a steady rise in the level of water in the Bagre and Kompiengo Dams.

This might necessitate spillage if the water level approached the maximum capacity of 234 metres high.

He said the spillage was likely to occur any time during this month and called on those living along the White Volta Basin and low land areas to move.

Mr Woyongo said Bagre Dam, as at July 29, was 230.56 metres high and is increasing very fast with each heavy rain and added that if the trend continued unchanged the dam was likely to attain a maximum level of 234 metres high in 12 days from last Thursday.

He said the message had already been communicated to the National Disaster Management Organization to prepare in case of disaster.

Last year’s spillage of the dam resulted in floods in many parts of the Region especially communities along the White Volta Basin resulting in the death of a number of people and animals and the destruction crops.

Source: GNA