The Sogakope Bridge is facing a potential flood threat due to the ongoing spillage of the Akosombo Dam. The floodwaters have risen nearly to the uppermost parts of the bridge's pillars, which stretches over a length of 650 meters.In response to this situation, the Ghana Navy has been mobilized to remove the vegetation that is obstructing the flow of water beneath the bridge.

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The significant piece of infrastructure connects Sogakope and Sokpoe over the Volta River.The Volta River Authority (VRA) is cautioning residents to brace themselves for further spillage, as engineers at the hydro dam are unable to predict when the operation will conclude.The VRA began releasing excess water from the Akosombo and Kpong hydro dams on September 15, in response to rising water levels.

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Presently, the inflow into the reservoir is approximately 400,000 cubic feet per second, while the authority is spilling roughly 183,000 cubic feet of water. The duration of the spillage remains uncertain.<img alt="" class="wp-image-573650"/>North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto AblakwaIng.

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Kenneth Arthur, the Deputy Chief Executive of the VRA in charge of services, disclosed this during an assessment of the spillage by a government delegation led by Deputy Minister of Energy, Herbert Krapah.Consequently, the spillage has caused the displacement of thousands of people living along the Lower Volta Basin, resulting in significant property losses valued at millions of cedis.

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Nine districts have been affected so far, with the South, Central, and North Tongu districts in the Volta Region being among the hardest hit.Many residents are evacuating to seek safety, while others are attempting to salvage their belongings in the midst of the ongoing spillage.

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<img alt="" class="wp-image-573696"/>Ablakwa donates life jackets to victims of Akosombo Dam spillageAlthough the VRA claims to have alerted residents along the lower Volta Basin in advance, the scenes of unprepared evacuations and destruction indicate that the warnings were insufficient.Speaking on Joy FM, Felix Ayiku, a resident of Mepe, lamented the inadequacy of communication with the residents in the affected areas.

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"You will see a press release on social media which is not very good for the local people, because, a lot of people don't even have smartphones, the old people don't understand how these things work," he said via Joy SMS on Thursday, October 12.<img alt="" class="wp-image-10032392727"/>"Social media is not the best way. There are letters flying around but [only] we the young people see them.

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We saw it, we tried to [understand] what they really mean.”According to him, about 2,000 households in his community have been inundated by floodwater.He is saddened adding "We need adequate education so people can be fully prepared for this kind of events.""It's really sad... I saw old people, aged people struggling to get water to drink.”

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