Several farmlands in the Volta Region submerge

Hohoe, Oct. 19, GNA - Mr Henry Ametepe, Volta Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), has disclosed that 12 out of the region's 18 districts were submerged.

He said the worse affected areas include Keta, South and North Tongu, South Dayi, Kpando, Krachi East and West, Nkwanta North and the yet to be commissioned Biakoye District, whose situation could be described as "serious'.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, Mr Ametepe attributed the problem to the spill of the Bagre Dam in neighbouring Burkina Faso, torrential rains in recent times, building in water ways and the climate change phenomenon.

He said Tapa-Abotoase, Tapa-Alavanyo, Kpando-Tokor and Kpeve-Tornu were seriously inundated and demanded immediate action.

Mr Ametepe said NADMO was in the process of gathering comprehensive data on the situation as large tracts of farmlands were submerged.

He appealed to residents in those areas to evacuate to uplands and safer grounds or suffer the consequences thereof.

The Regional Coordinator called for the promulgation of a legislation to sanction people exploiting water courses to their advantage, indicating that apart from the issues being an environmental problem, it was also a fundamental threat to people's livelihoods and wellbeing.

He entreated the Volta River Authority (VRA) to collaborate with NADMO to have a strategic and well-coordinated approach towards mitigating the effects.

Mr Ametepe entreated the Volta River Authority to publish levels of water in the reservoir of the Volta Dam in the dailies and run educational programmes on the dangers and implications to habitats along the lower basins of the lake.

He said the floods were affront to food security urging stakeholders to activate strategies and measures towards ameliorating the effects.