VRA dredges Ada Estuary
Ada-Foah, July 24, Ghanadot/GNA -
The Volta River Authority (VRA) has completed dredging the
estuary of the Volta River at Ada-Foah that it started in
February at a cost of GHC 1,000,000.00.
The dredging is aimed at increasing salinity by sea water
intrusion into the river to reduce the incidence of
bilharzias and to restore the ecosystem in the area.
Briefing the media at Ada-Foah during a visit by some
officials of the VRA the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Mr
Kirk Kwoffie, said the creation of the Akosombo Dam had
created public health problems such as water-borne diseases.
He said the estuary at Ada Foah had become sanctuaries for
bilharzias snails and other water-borne diseases along the
banks of the river, resulting in high incidence of
bilharzias at human water contact sites in communities
around the Lower Volta Basin.
Mr Kwoffie said in the upstream of the Volta Lake, the VRA
was embarking on a forestation programme aimed at reducing
siltation of the Volta Lake through the restoration of
permanent vegetation cover on the slopes bordering the lake.
He said the VRA was also conducting collaborative work with
the Volta Basin Research Project (VBRP) of the University of
Ghana to monitor and evaluate prevalence of bilharzias in
the affected communities.
Mr Kwoffie said the dredging programme would result in the
free flow of the Volta River into the sea hence the control
or total elimination of flooding.
The dredging would enhance socio-economic activities of the
people in and around the area.
GNA
