By Murtala Issah
Water supply to the Tamale metropolis and surrounding communities may be cut off if the water level in the White Volta continues to rise. The water level at the intake point on Wednesday, stood at 32.05 ft, rising from 30.40ft on Tuesday. Upstream, in Burkina, the Bagre Dam remains opened and continues to feed the White Volta and its tributaries.
More rains are also being recorded in the Upper East and North East regions which all lie upstream, raising the potential for a sharp rise in the water level in the coming days. A statement issued by the GWCL said, to per the Standard Operating Procedure, “the maximum level of the Intake Dam should not exceed 36 feet but as at this morning, Tuesday, September 20,
2022, the level of the In-take Dam stood at 30.40 feet in addition to the Bagre Dam.”
The development threatens socio-economic activities in the Tamale Metropolis where thousands of residents and critical services such as hospitals depend on the GWCL for their water needs. The Public Relations Officer of the Company, Nii Abbey, in an interview with GBC news in Tamale, disclosed that, “alternative arrangements are being made to prevent a water crisis at critical facilities like hospitals “. He urged residents to store enough water to minimise the impact of the potential shutdown.
