Over 400 households in communities in the North East region are to be affected by the construction of the Pwalugu multipurpose dam.
An ongoing Environmental and Impact Assessment Survey will determine the exact area to be affected and the victims will be consulted and involved in resettlement planning.
This was disclosed during a visit on Tuesday by executives of the Volta River Authority(VRA) and the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) to the overlord of the Mamprugu traditional area, Nayiri Naa Bohagu Mahami Sheriga, at his palace in the regional capital, Nalerigu.
The delegation was there to officially inform the chief about the project and as well start consultations with his sub-chiefs on land acquisition and resettlement process.
The Project Manager, Kwaku Wiafe said, the resettlement will be done to the best standard and that lesson learnt from similar projects, such as the Akosombo and Bui dams will be applied.
According to him, the resettlement plan will involve extensive deliberations with multiple stakeholders with the affected people at the forefront.
The Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam is a government project estimated to cost nearly one billion USD. It covers Irrigation, hydropower and flood control all expected to complete by 2024.
The project components involve; a dam with an elevation of 165m near the Pwalugu Bridge on the White Volta River and with a maximum reservoir area of 350 km2, a powerhouse consisting of two turbines with 60MW of installed capacity and 16.5 MW of firm continuous capacity; an Irrigation Scheme consisting of a 12m high for 20,000ha of land, and a 15km overhead line for export of power to an existing transmission line.
Managing Director of NEDCO/VRA, Osman Ayuba who led the delegation, told the Mamprugu chief the project will be sited between Wurugu, Kurugu and Yagaba, all in North East region. Mr. Ayuba briefed the chief on the many benefits of the project to the economic growth of the northern sector.
Source:Fiilafmonline/JoyNews
