William N. Jalulah
19 August 2008
AN ADVENTUROUS journey by our Upper East Regional Reporter, William N. Jalulah, through flood waters along the White Volta near Pwalugu, in the Talensi- Nabdam District, has revealed that hectares of farmlands along that river are completely flooded.
This situation can best be described as the harbinger of imminent hunger, yet to strike the region. This could be worsened by the spillover of water from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso, as the Electricity Authority in that country has already notified their Ghanaian counterparts that they would have to open the spillways on August 21, because there was too much water in the dam.
As a confluence to the Bagre Dam, it is clear that when the dam is spillway is opened, it will not only affect the farms along the White Volta in Ghana, but human lives, livestock and properties.
When this reporter paddled through some of the flooded farmlands, over the weekend, he observed that most farmers now used canoes, to travel from one end to the other, to inspect their flooded crops, with some near harvest.
Some farmlands have being turned into fishing "arenas", where the same farmers who own the farms now carry out their fishing activities, though they claim there are no fish in the waters.
When this reporter pleaded with one of such disgruntled farmers, who gave his name as Abdulai Tahidu, to paddle him in his canoe, to take photographs of the flooded crops, he declined. He also declined to even do it for money.
Fortunately, William is also good at paddling a canoe, so he took advantage of that with the assistance of his brother, N-jorgnan, and paddled through the flooded farmlands, to take some pictures.
Tahidu, who was looking absolutely worried, lamented that when their crops were flooded last year, some people came and took their names, but to date they have not received any relief or food items.
When the Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Anderson Anaful, was contacted, he said his office was aware of the situation, and that the Tatlensi-Nabdam District NADMO Coordinator, had submitted a report on the situation to him. Mr. Anaful, however condemned the activities of the farmers, who farm along the banks of the river, saying that NADMO had earlier on warned them not to farm along river banks, or in low lying areas.
Citing Sawaba, another flood-prone area in the Bolgatanga Municipality as an example, where the people would not desist from farming or building, despite warning notices by NADMO, that the area was a flood-prone zone. The Regional Coordinator said further that there will be no assistance for such farmers or inhabitants.
He denied that victims of year's floods, around Pwalugu, were not assisted, as claimed by Tahidu.
Roy Ayariga, the Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, who is currently out of the region, said the acting Director, Joseph Amiyuure, had since visited some of the affected areas, to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ayariga also reiterated that these farmers were cautioned early enough, not farm along the river banks, but they would not pay heed.
History, they say, has the potential of repeating itself, so The Upper East File also advises that in order to avert any terrible disaster, as the region experienced from floods last year, the people must heed to pieces of advice and warnings, from disaster experts.
This way, history might repeat itself, but its devastating effects may not be so intense, thus draining the budget of the Regional Coordinating Council, the government, Non-governmental Organizations, philanthropic organizations, religious bodies and individuals, or even claiming lives, as we experienced last year.
Already, the Meteorological Department has warned that there would be heavy rains this year, and with what we are experiencing now, we need no soothsayer to whisper into our ears, of any looming disaster.
Having said these, The File also urges the authorities concerned, to intensify education on the spillage of the Bagre Dam, and its catastrophic effects, in the local languages, so that the local people would be alerted.
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There is a flood-resistant food crop growing wild in Ghana, waiting to be harvested, and probably causing trouble. That crop is Typha (cattail, bulrush, reedmace, Kachalla). You can learn how to harvest it and eat it many places online (e.g. wildmanSteveBrill.com). What isn't fit for human consumption can be brewed into ethanol for fuel. Its control and exploitation would help with many African problems.