We have engineers to help govt prevent flooding caused by dam spillage – UTAG

The University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) says it is poised to collaborate with government to find a lasting solution to the issue of flooding caused by spillage of water from the Akosmobo dam.

The association noted that the university engineering department together with the appropriate bodies can devise measures to spill the water without the havoc which has happened.

The Volta River Authority (VRA) is spilling excess water from the Akosombo and Kpong dams which have led to severe flooding in communities downstream in the Eastern and Volta Regions.

Individuals who have lost their homes and livelihoods are appealing for support.

Speaking to Citi News, Secretary of the University of Ghana branch of UTAG, Dr. Jerry Joe Harrison said proper analysis must be done about the situation.

“The long-term solution is to do a proper analysis of the volume of water that is coming in the dam by having various monitoring systems in place as a measure. We have a lot of civil engineers, structural engineers and environmental scientists who can help in designing systems to monitor the volume of water and calculate accurately how long and much the level is going to rise and the rate at which we need to make sure that we don’t even get to the dangerous levels that will affect the dam and also make sure that the volume of water is not too much to displace people from their settled homes,” he said.

In a related development, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has constituted a 13-member inter-ministerial committee to coordinate government’s response to persons affected by the flood.