Residents Flee Homes as Major Ghana Dam Spills Over

Thousands of residents in Ghana's south-east have fled their homes as  a result of the Akosombo Dam overflowing.

More than 4000 residents' homes and farms have been destroyed by raging waters along the banks of the River Volta.

The Akosombo Dam  also known as the Volta Dam, is a hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in southeastern Ghana in the Akosombo gorge and part of the Volta River Authority. 

The deluge has led to the disruption of essential services, leaving some areas without access to water and electricity. 

During a press conference at the Akosombo Generation Station on Thursday, the  Deputy Chief of VRA, in charge of Engineering and Operations, Edward Obeng Kenzo, explained that the spillage was necessitated by high inflows into the Akosombo reservoir, resulting in the water level exceeding its upper level. 

He said the spillage was to prevent the water from overtopping and compromising the integrity of the dam.

Prior to the inundation, the Volta River Authority had issued advisories urging residents to relocate to higher ground. This recommendation came in response to the rising water levels upstream of the Akosombo Dam, primarily driven by heavy rainfall in the region. 

The Ghanaian government, in an official statement on Friday, confirmed that thousands of people in at least nine districts have been displaced as a direct consequence of the flooding. 

The Global Disaster and Coordination System, affiliated with the United Nations, reported seven injuries in connection with the disaster.

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has urged the Volta River Authority (VRA) to slow down the spillage of the Akosombo dam to allow for the safe evacuation of residents.