Floods render markets, 27 communities inaccessible in the North

Chama (N/R), Sept. 15, GNA – Flood waters have submerged about six kilometers of roads from Chama to the Fio communities in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region.

About two kilometers of roads from Kpasinkpe to Fumbisi communities in the same district have also been submerged under the flood waters.

This has led to destruction of over 1700 acres of food crops especially maize, rendering major market centres and over 27 communities inaccessible.

The floods have also displaced over 400 people who have been relocated to relatives in other communities, fortunately there has been no reported loss of lives.

A Situational report on the floods made available to the Ghana News Agency at Chama by the District Office of National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) after leading a team to tour some of the affected communities to assess the damage on Friday, said the floods started on July 5, 2012 due to continuous rains which made the rivers and streams to overflow their banks.

The team which Kpasinkpe, Janga and Chama communities, comprised of officials from the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, Ghana Police Service, West Mamprusi District Chief Executive and development partners such as the World Food Programme.

The report said “the floods became very serious in the District on September 4, 2012, when almost all farmlands with crops were submerged and even affected some houses due to the second opening of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso.”

The report said “most communities were cut off due to the volume of water with some relocating to their friends and relatives”.

The floods in the district have become an annual affair mainly because of the opening of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso where the spilled waters move down stream to the communities.

At Kpasinkpe, Mr Sulemana Sebiyam, who spoke on behalf of Wulugu Naba, Professor John Nabila, lamented about the devastation the floods had caused to farmlands and appealed for hybrid seedlings to ensure that crops were harvested before the floods set in.

Mr James Wunira Braimah, West Mamprusi District NADMO Coordinator, said the affected communities had been zoned with coordinators reporting on the situation as well as advising people to relocate.

Mr Braimah appealed to appropriate agencies and other organizations to come to the aid of the affected communities.

GNA