Farmers along the White Volta in Pwalugu in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region are appealing to Government to urgently speed up the construction of the Pwalugu Multi-purpose dam, particularly the irrigation aspect of the project. According to them, the construction of the dam will help harvest excess water from the spillage of the Bagre Dam which has over the years destroyed their farms. Our Upper East Regional correspondent Samuel Ayammah reports.
Currently, all farmlands along the White Volta in Pwalugu in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region have been submerged due to the spillage of the Bagre Dam coupled with torrential rains in the region. Crops that have been destroyed by the floods include maize, rice and millet.
A visit to the land earmarked for the construction of the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam site showed that the land has been consumed by the floods. Our Correspondent spoke to some farmers who were hopeful the only intervention that can help prevent the annual floods in the area is the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam. They underscored the need for government to speed up the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose dam.
The 2016 1st runner-up national best farmer in Binduri, Ariku Martin Akudugu, has had his more than 700 acres of rice and maize farmlands destroyed by the floods. Mr. Ariku re-echoed the need for government to fast-track the construction of the Pwalugu Multi-purpose dam.
President Akufo Addo in November, 2019, cut the sod for the construction of the Pwalugu Multi-purpose dam valued at 993 million dollars to harvest the excess water of the spillage of the Bagre Dam. Currently, major construction works on the project is yet to start.
According to coordinators of the project, plans are far advanced for compensation packages to be paid to land owners before major construction works begin.
