NADMO Issues Flood Alert Ahead Of Bagre Dam Spillage

The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) has warned residents living around the Black and White Volta rivers to prepare for the opening of the Bagre dam.

As a result, the organization said it has intensified its awareness creation to avert any unforeseen circumstances likely to be brought on by the spill.

The spillage of the dam is likely to be done between Thursday, August 23, 2018 and Thursday August 30.

It was initially slated for the first week of September 2018 but has been rescheduled to August 2018 due to what authorities of the dam say is the unexpected rise in the volume of water in the dam.

“Managers of the Bagre Dam have given notice that the rising trend in the volume of water in the Dam at 80% in the month of August this year as compared to 50% rise in the volume of water same period last year, it has become imperative that spillage of the dam.”

A similar exercise was undertaken in August 2017 over the same reason.

In a statement issued by the organization, “the communities along the banks of the Black and White Volta are to take note and prepare accordingly for the over flow of the two rivers.”

NADMO further adds, it will hold a press briefing on Wednesday August 22, 2018 to engage stakeholders on their level of preparedness for preemptive actions to be taken.

Read the full statement below
The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) will like to inform the general public especially those living along the banks of the Black and White Volta that the SONABEL Authorities of Burkina Faso, Managers of the Bagre Dam have given notice that the rising trend in the volume of water in the Dam at 80% in the month of August this year as compared to 50% rise in the volume of water same period last year, it has become imperative that spillage of the dam, which was scheduled for first week in September this year, be done earlier than scheduled.

The spillage of the dam is likely to be done between Thursday, 23^rd August 2018 and Thursday, 30^th August 2018.

In this regard, the communities along the banks of the Black and White Volta are to take note and prepare accordingly for the over flow of the two rivers.

As a result of the foregoing, the Director-General of NADMO, Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh will hold a press conference at the Conference Room of NADMO at the Headquarters at 10: 00a.m on Wednesday 22^nd August 2018 to throw more light on the spillage of the Bagre Dam and readiness of the Coordinating Agencies for Disaster in Ghana to mitigate the effect on our people.

200,000 still at risk from Bagre dam, heavy rains – NADMO

In August 2017, NADMO indicated that the combined effect of the water levels of the White Volta rising and the Bagre dam being opened could leave almost 200,000 persons affected by flooding in northern Ghana and beyond.

The impact of the flooding could extend to economic activities because “it is not just the human beings but the livestock and the farms that will be affected so it will have a great impact on cash and the economy of the people within the three northern regions.”