By Jerry Azanduna, GNA
Navrongo (UE) Oct. 18, GNA – About 844 hectares of farm lands under the Tono Irrigation Project in the Kassena-Nankana Municipal have been submerged following the recent 12 days of heavy rains in the Upper East Region and the spillage of the Tono Irrigation Dam.
The rains affected parts of the dam including; the floor, walls of the run way and parts of the embankment of the spillway which caused the water to over flow the banks of the canals and submerge the rice farms under cultivation in the area.
Mr Sabastian Bagina, the Operations Manager of the Tono Irrigation project disclosed this during a visit, by the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Saeed Salifu, who is also acting as the Upper East Regional Minister, to the area to have firsthand information on the extent of damage caused by the rains.
Mr Bagina said the content of the rains in recent times caused the dam to fill up, forcing the water to move with extra force thereby damaging the major part of the spillway.
Mr Bagina who took the Minister and his entourage round the dam said even though preliminary investigations showed that the embankment and spillway of the dam were affected, an extensive investigation would have to be done by engineers after the water subsides, to ascertain the real extent of damage done.
“However if the rains continue, there will be a need for immediate attention on the dam so as to avert further damage”, he said.
Mr Bagina said the total developed area of the project was 2,490 hectares of farm lands and almost half of it was affected by the rains, “I am afraid this will badly affect the farmers and all others in the value chain of production in the area”.
The farmers were expecting to start harvesting the rice in the months of November and December.
The Minister briefed the Media later and instructed the Municipal Chief Executive of the area, Mr William Adum, to treat the issue as a security threat to both life and property and attention government for immediate investigation to determine the extent of damage caused.
Mr Salifu said the dam was a national asset that served to fight food insecurity in the country and all would be done to repair the damage caused.
He later visited communities in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality and the Kassena-Nankana West District which were badly affected by the rains.
He assured the people of Manyaro and Doba in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, where four people lost their lives and a number of houses were destroyed, of government’s commitment to restoring hope by supporting them in their time of need.
At Manyaro about 20 houses were destroyed leaving 133 victims displaced who were housed at the Manyaro area council office.
At the Kassena-Nankana West district two people lost their lives, while 35 at Sirigu-Namyorogo community lost their homes and sought refuge in school buildings.
The Minister disclosed that 17 people were confirmed dead through the effects of the recent rains in the Upper East Region and urged the general public to disregard the early publication that said over 27 people had died.
He said authentic statistics from the district assemblies indicated that, Bolgatanga recorded three deaths, Kassena-Nankana Municipal,four,, Bawku, one, Builsa North, three and Bongo, one.
The other districts, Builsa South, recorded one death, Binduri, one, Garu, one, and Kassena-Nankana West, two.
The Minister and his entourage sympathised with displaced people at Sirigu, Upper East Region.
GNA
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