The community engagement became necessary after residents raised concerns over the intended dredging activities, alleging that the VRA brought in foreign vessels to prospect for minerals
The Volta River Authority (VRA) has engaged residents of Agbeve and surrounding communities in the South Tongu District of the Volta region, ahead of plans to begin dredging operations in the lower Volta river.
The community engagement is aimed at sensitizing residents along the river on the need to dredge the Volta river to allow for the easy flow of the water into the sea which was currently being hampered as a result of overgrown aquatic weeds in the river and sand bars on the river bed.
The community engagement became necessary after residents raised concerns over the intended dredging activities, alleging that the VRA brought in foreign vessels to prospect for minerals and not to dredge the river as they were made to believe.
The residents later secured an injunction at a High Court in Sogakofe restraining the VRA and Lower Volta Dredging Contractors from carrying out their operations.
They further secured an order from the same court compelling the VRA and the contractors, to engage the community so as to get them to understand the concept, which unfortunately was not done at the time the residents spotted the large dredging vessel on the river near their community in November, 2022.
A VRA resource person and consultant on the project, Emmanuel Amekor, outlined some of the benefits associated with dredging the river which included easy and rapid flow of the river into the sea, the prevention of water borne diseases such as Bilharzia and River Blindness which are prevalent among residents living along the river.
He said the dredging will also increase the depth of the river as a result increasing the oyster and fish stock in the river which are two major sources of livelihood for the residents along the stretch of the Volta river.
Amekor alleyed the fears of the people, assuring them that the dredging however is to be done in the main river from Akuse through Sogakope to the estuary at Ada and is no where close to the Angor river which is a tributry close to the Agbeve community.
He appealed to the community to join efforts to dredge the river which he observed is in the general interest of the people.
Dr. Sylva Vortia, a native of the area who had been championing the cause of the local people and made a presentation on behalf of the residents, appealed to the VRA to halt its dredging operations in the Angor river – a tributry of the Volta river which serves the Agbeve community.
According to Dr. Sylva, the Angor river is the only source of livelihood for the residents who are mostly fisherfolk and oyster harvesters who rely heavily on the river for survival.
He explained that the dredging activities which began late last year, but was put on hold following the court injunction is polluting the river and damaging the modern water treatment plant built by the community to supply clean drinking water to the residents, adding that, it was also killing the oyster and fish stock in the river which was a risk to the livelihoods of the people.
Dr. Vortia said the community though small had engaged in many self help projects including modern classroom blocks for the Kindergarten, Primary and Junior High Schools, the construction of a modern water closet (WC) toilet facility among others and was hopeful that with self determination and communal service and spirit the community would be transformed into a Utopia and a model for other communities along the river.
Citing some portions of Prof. Dzodzi Tsikata’s book, “Living In The Shadow Of The Large Dams” Dr. Sylva accused the VRA of not implementing several of the recommendations made to the Authority after the construction of the Akosombo Dam in 1965, and sunsequently the Akuse and the Bui Power Plants.
He called on the VRA to re-asses its priorities and to ensure that the concerns raised by residents along the river are attended to in order not to aggravate their already dwindling socio-economic conditions.
By Leo Nelson || Ewedukortv.blogspot.com
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