Anytime there is a spillage of water from any hydroelectric dam, houses are submerged and properties worth millions of cedis are destroyed.

The livelihoods of people are also taken away as their shops and other businesses are swept away by the gushing water.

In recent times, people living within the North Tongu constituency, Sogakope, Akosombo, and its environs have been affected by the opening of the Akosombo dam.

But in an interview on GhanaWeb TV’s BizTech program hosted by Ernestina Serwaa Asante, Engineer Oliver Kotey Neequaye said the spillage is necessary to prevent the dam from collapsing.

He stated that the spillway gates are opened to allow the water to flow out.

According to him, the bedrock of Bui Dam is 185 meters above sea level and the maximum operating level is 183 meters [at full capacity].

“The spilling comes when we have more than necessary. Our dam that you are seeing, from the bedrock to the height is 185m above sea level and the maximum operating level is 183, that is full capacity. The minimum level is 168m above sea level so when we are around that level, you can only use that level for maintenance purposes,” Mr Neequaye told the host of BizTech, Ernestina Serwaa Asante.

He added that, “When it is more than that, above 183, then we need to spill to avoid the dam from collapsing. So we have about 5 spillway gates here opened to allow the water to flow…We spill when the need arises.”

The engineers noted that the dam is however maintained quarterly and annually. 

SA/KPE

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