Bagre Dam spillage: Crops destroyed, homes inundated as floods wreak havoc

Several acres of farmland and houses in the Upper East Region have been submerged by floodwaters. These affected areas are located in the Binduri, Bawku West, and Talensi districts.

The floods were caused by the White Volta River breaking its banks due to heavy rains over the past few days.

Speaking to Asaase News, Jesse Kazapoe, the head of the White Volta Basin at the Water Resources Commission, confirmed that the Bagre Dam had been spilled by power operators in Burkina Faso, SONABEL, but this was not the cause of the current floods.

“The spilling was done the day before yesterday. What is happening is that the spilling is being done gradually. Previously, the average flows were around 600 to 700 cubic meters per second. But since yesterday, the flow has been steady at only 46 cubic meters per second.”

“They are aware that already most of our rivers have broken their banks. So if they open the gate and allow so much water to come, we’ll have a challenge. If we don’t receive any excess flow into the Bagre Dam, the flow is going to be constant at that rate. So with that, we wouldn’t see much difference between what we are already experiencing and what is coming. Already, our rivers have broken their banks. If you look at the Volta River, it has already broken its banks. It has flooded its plain.”

Kazapoe mentioned that the flow from the Bagre Dam this year is minimal.

“Luckily, what is coming in is not as much as what came in previously. It’s just about maybe 6-7% of what we usually receive. Because last year, at a point, our maximum flows we were receiving into the country, just from the Bagre Dam alone, was over 1,000 cubic meters per second.”

“And the Volta River has an average carrying capacity of about 300 cubic meters per second. If we have 300 cubic meters per second, and it’s already full, and 1,000 is coming, that means that 700 is excess. And that is what causes the disaster in these communities and other things. Luckily, this time, we are not getting 1,000. We are not getting 600. We are getting somewhere below 50. So it is a bit minimal, even though our rivers are already full and experiencing some flooding within the country.”

The Binduri District Director for the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Daniel Azimbe, spoke to Asaase News about the gravity of the situation in the affected area.

“Crops have been flooded as a result of the spillage. Most of our crops that are not yet ready for harvest have been flooded at the moment. Quite a number of farms have been submerged, and then we have houses that are very close to the area of the river.”

“But at the moment, we are just carrying out monitoring and assessment. Currently, it is the crops that have been submerged. We cannot provide specific figures at the moment. Thankfully, we have not yet received any reports of loss of life or property, including livestock.”

The Talensi District Director for NADMO, Alpha Robert, also indicated that the floods have had a severe impact. However, he mentioned that the water from the Bagre Dam is expected to hit Pwalugu, a community in the Talensi District, later today.

The former District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Bawku West District, Issahaku Tahiru Ahmed, another area affected by the floods, appealed for collaboration to build a dam that would help collect floodwaters in the region.

He gave a history of the proposed project.

“When it comes to the overflooding of the White Volta, we see it as an emergency. But to be honest, as a social development specialist, it ceases to be an emergency. Because this happens every year, year after year. When I came as a District Chief Executive (DCE) and also being the previous NADMO director for Bawku West District, I knew that problem had been there for a long time.”

“And we kept on educating people. I thought about it and said that we need a permanent solution, not this kind of on-and-off situation. So I thought, I asked myself, now with all this excess water that comes and goes away, it comes and sweeps away our animals, our food, and even at times human beings and livestock, the next three, four, or five months will be the people again in need of water for gardening and other things. Isn’t it proper that we take a decision to get a project that will make good use of those excess waters instead of it running, going, and destroying people? We will dam it.”

Ahmed explained that some experts had come from the United States of America to do feasibility studies. The entire project is expected to cost 4 million dollars.

“I had some experts that came from America and we designed something and identified a place around Timonde that this is a place where we can dam the river. And I think I had this discussion where the cost was around $4 million. I cannot afford that $4 million. My assembly cannot afford that $4 million. But we were lobbying and hoping that either the government will pick up that decision or other donors will come to support.”

The project, has been divided into three phases. The third phase would be the installation of a treatment plant to help supply potable water to residents.

Reporting by Mark Smith in the Upper East Region

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