The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMeT) has urged the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and other relevant authorities to take immediate action to relocate victims of the dam spillages to safer areas.

According to the Agency, this has become imperative due to additional rainfall expected in the lower Volta Basin, an area already severely affected by the release of water from the Akosombo Dam, in the coming days.

Head of Central Analysis and Forecasting at GMeT, Felicity Ahafianyo, stressed that promptly relocating would mitigate the risks associated with the ongoing and expected rainfall in the region.

She further elaborated that the weather forecast indicates the likelihood of rain in the North Tongu area and its environs until October 23rd.

“Rain is still in the forecast for North Tongu and its environs. Between now and the 23rd of October, rain is still in the forecast over the lower Volta basin area,” she said.

“I think from our point, we will also add our voice for our brothers and sisters to relocate, and listen to the authorities, NADMO, VRA, and all other authorities. They should relocate to a safer place,” she added.

Presently, residents in Mepe, situated in the North Tongu district, and various areas of the Volta region are contending with the aftermath of the recent release of water from the Akosombo Dam, leading to the inundation of their homes and resulting in substantial losses.

The Volta River Authority (VRA) decision to discharge excess water from the Akosombo and Kpong hydroelectric dams, while crucial for dam safety, has posed a multitude of challenges for the affected communities.

Dwellings, farmlands, and even burial grounds have been submerged in floodwaters, disrupting vital services like water and electricity supply and compelling the relocation of residents to higher ground for their safety.

The VRA has defended the controlled spillage due to the rapid filling of both dams to full capacity, primarily due to upstream precipitation.

Engineers at the VRA have underscored the pivotal importance of maintaining water levels within the dams to avert the potential risk of dam failure, emphasizing the necessity of this controlled discharge to safeguard the structural integrity of the dams.