Irrigation farming can be used to prevent Akosombo Dam spillage – Civil Engineer

Ghanaian Civil Engineer Kwasi Taylor Jr. has said that irrigation farming can be used to prevent the Akosombo Dam from overflowing beyond the limits needed for operation.

Several communities in the Volta Region have been left flooded due to the spillage of excess water from the Akosomo Dam by the Volta River Authority (VRA) in the early part of October 2023.

Over 26, 000 people and almost all the buildings, homes, and properties in the affected community have been completely submerged underwater.

Reacting to this on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, Kwasi Taylor Jnr. said this yearly problem can be curbed by creating water canals in the north to support irrigation farming and controlling the canals to make sure that the Akosombo Dam always has the required water level needed for operations.

“When we talk about civil engineering, it’s about finding a way to make human lives better. All the major rivers in the North flow into the Volta River, so why don’t we create a canal to the major farming areas for irrigation in order to prevent the Volta River from overflowing?”

“If the water level in the dam is low, then you close the canals created for all the rivers to flow directly into the Volta for the dam to get the maximum level of water it needs to operate.”

“All these things are simple applications, so why do we allow ourselves for this to happen every year? he quizzed.