THE annual misfortune which the people of the north suffers following the spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso could soon become a thing of the past.
This follows the decision by the newly-established Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to convert the annual disaster into a blessing by constructing canals and reservoirs to collect and store the excess waters for irrigation purposes.
According to Dr Charles Jebuni, a technical advisor to the SADA, the measure is part of a long-term strategy to bring an end to the perennial flooding of the north and, at the same time, enhance dry season farming.
“We have identified three points in the Upper East and Upper West regions by which the water from Burkina Faso flows into Ghana,” he pointed out, adding that the canals would be connected to these points to redirect the water into reservoirs.
During a courtesy call by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises on Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba, the Northern Regional Minister, as part of a four-day working visit to flood-affected communities in the north, Dr Jebuni said some of the rivers in the flood-prone areas would be dredged to contain more water.
The visit was to enable the committee members to have a first-hand assessment of the flood situation and engage the stakeholders to come up with sustainable solutions to stop this annual disaster.
Early this month, the spillage of the Bagre Dam, coupled with heavy rains in the Northern Region, claimed 17 lives.
Aside the benefit of collecting and storing the excess water for irrigation, Dr Jebuni said the SADA would also facilitate the planting of economically viable grass and trees along the catchment areas of the rivers.
He explained that while the grass would serve as raw material for the basket weaving industry, the trees would play the multi-purpose role of conserving the environment, protecting the river banks and supplying fruits.
Dr Jebuni said the SADA flood mitigation strategy would also have a component on housing, which would seek to improve the quality of buildings located in flood-prone communities.
The Vice-Chairman of the select committee, Mr Charles Hodogbey, said the committee would study the situation on the ground and make the appropriate recommendations to the government to forestall future disasters.
The regional minister said it was high time the various proposals on how to mitigate the effects of floods were brought down from the shelves and translated into action.
“Much has been documented regarding this annual disaster, but less has been seen on the ground in terms of corrective measures,” he stated.
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