More rain is expected in the flood-affected districts, according to the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMeT), as a result of the Akosombo and Kpong Dams spilling their contents.
There is a 40 to 60% likelihood of rain in the area, according to Felicity Ahafianyo, Head of Central Analysis and Forecasting at GMeT.
In an interview with JoyNews, she stated, “Regarding the weather over the lower Volta Basin area, rain is still in the forecast for them for the next two weeks.
She added that it is expected to start “from Wednesday up to Sunday and then Monday to the following Sunday too, we still have a 40 to 60% chance of rain. By weekend too, we are expecting another outburst of rains.”
When asked if the amount of rain anticipated will result in floods, Madam Ahafianyo responded in the yes.
She stated that because of the spillage, the ground is already saturated, so “any rain that will come will have a runoff that is likely to cause flooding in the flood-prone areas.”
As a result of the leak, hundreds of people have already been forced to relocate, some staying with family members while others have had their homes inundated.
The government has been urged to declare a state of emergency by Reverend Stephen Wengam, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church in Ghana.
In a press conference, he stated that a state of emergency would provide actions taken to control the gloomy situation the additional legislative and humanitarian weight they need.
“We are witnessing a flood and disaster on an epic scale and with devastating consequences in the parts of the Volta, Eastern and Greater Accra regions as a result of the spillage of huge volumes of water from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams.
“It bears recounting that entire communities have been submerged in the floodwaters. Thousands of people including children have been displaced and property with millions of Ghana cedis lost. To make the desperate humanitarian situation worse, public cemeteries and toilets have also been submerged in floods, thus polluting sources of drinking water and igniting public health emergency concerns.
“This catastrophe of unprecedented proportions calls for a response of unparalleled urgency,” he explained.
Also, the North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said he does not see the delay in the declaration of the state of emergency when entire communities have been wiped out as a result of the flood.
According to him, there is a need for the situation to be declared as a state of emergency, adding that it will trigger a lot of international support.
“A number of diplomats have reached out that it is all they are waiting for,” he noted.
