Ada-Foah, July 24, GNA - The Volta River Authority (VRA) has completed dredging the estuary of the Volta River at Ada-Foah that it started in February at a cost of GHC 1,000,000.00. The dredging is aimed at increasing salinity by sea water intrusion into the river to reduce the incidence of bilharzias and to restore the ecosystem in the area.

Briefing the media at Ada-Foah during a visit by some officials of the VRA the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kirk Kwoffie, said the creation of the Akosombo Dam had created public health problems such as water-borne diseases.

He said the estuary at Ada Foah had become sanctuaries for bilharzias snails and other water-borne diseases along the banks of the river, resulting in high incidence of bilharzias at human water contact sites in communities around the Lower Volta Basin. Mr Kwoffie said in the upstream of the Volta Lake, the VRA was embarking on a forestation programme aimed at reducing siltation of the Volta Lake through the restoration of permanent vegetation cover on the slopes bordering the lake. He said the VRA was also conducting collaborative work with the Volta Basin Research Project (VBRP) of the University of Ghana to monitor and evaluate prevalence of bilharzias in the affected communities.

Mr Kwoffie said the dredging programme would result in the free flow of the Volta River into the sea hence the control or total elimination of flooding. The dredging would enhance socio-economic activities of the people in and around the area.