Preventing Disasters On Volta Lake

NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS ON THE VOLTA LAKE 

Thousands of people have lost their lives through boat accidents on the Volta Lake since the construction of the Akosombo Dam in the 1960s. The construction of the Dam culminated in the creation of the largest man-made lake in the world by surface area. The river covers about 8,502 square kilometres which is 3.6 percent of Ghana's land area. The lake which submerged forests and farm lands as well as a number of settlements has served as the nation’s number one source of hydropower for decades. It has offered employment opportunities through inland fishing, lake transportation, tourism and irrigated agriculture for many years. Apart from the Volta Lake been the major source of water for domestic and industrial use, the lake gives the nation the finest fresh water fish. 

In spite of the great benefits the lake offers to the nation, energetic and productive citizens day in, day out are losing their lives on the lake due to the presence of tree stumps, overloading and carelessness of boat owners. A number of interventions were introduced in the past to end the frequent accidents. It would be recalled that former President Jerry Rawlings in an attempt to reduce the boat accidents went under the river together with a German contractor to cut down some tree stumps along the berthing sites at Tongor-Dzemeni. This project brought drastic reduction in accidents at Dzemeni which was then most accident prone spot on the lake. In 2006 under President Kufuor’s regime, a Canadian company was also contracted to remove the tree stumps of which selected ones were to be milled and exported for the production of furniture as the woods have some special qualities that make them unique. 

In the wake of recent increase in accidents on the lake, there have been renewed talks for the removal of tree stumps from the lake. While this may be laudable and contribute greatly to the reduction in the accident cases, it has serious repercussions on the livelihood of the communities along the lake. It will lead to a rapid depletion of fish stock in the lake and affect the income of the fisherfolks. The tree stumps serve as home and conducive atmosphere for breeding of fish stocks. Algae also form on the stumps that serve as plankton for fish feeding. During high tides, fishermen tie their boats to some of these dead trees and climb onto them for safety. Adversely the total removal of the tree stumps will pave the way for the rise in illegal fishing methods such as drag netting which may destroy the few fish stock left in the lake. 

As a way out, the berthing or landing sites as well as navigational routes of passenger or cargo boats along the major marketing centres must be cleared of the stumps as done at Tongor-Dzemeni by former President Rawlings to save lives. Weaker wooden boats must not be allowed to transport goods that cannot withstand boisterous waves on the lake. Overloading of boats should be prohibited and life jackets should be adequate on board for crew and passengers to wear while on transit. The Fiber glass boats introduced into the country along the coast should be extended to the Volta Lake to replace the wooden boats.  The work of the Navy and the Maritime Authority in curbing the accidents is essential. In future government should consider the construction of a Bridge along major sites of the Lake like the Adomi Bridge to reduce boat travel on the lake. The private sector should also be encouraged to invest in the lake transport business where durable, safe and more convenient pontoons are deployed to ply the lake at major marketing areas like Yeji, Makango and Kpando. Strict enforcement of regulations on the lake is the way to go. 

If the needed precautions are taken and all stakeholders play their roles effectively, the lake will remain a valuable asset for generations to come and not a grave yard. The time to act is now.

BY ROBERT KOVE FIADO OF AVEYIME KLEMEDE, BATTOR IN THE VOLTA REGION.