Volta River Authority Embarks On Environmental Impact For Pwalugu Project

<p>Volta River Authority has embarked on environmental assessment for Multi-Purpose Dam<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that the Volta River Authority Working in partnership with Tractable Consultants&sol;SRC Ghana&comma; Environmental Protection Authority &lpar;EPA&rpar;&comma; Forestry Commission of Ghana and the Regional Coordinating Council for both Upper East and North East Regions are currently embarking on the Environmental Social Impact Assessment &lpar;ESIA&rpar; as part of the full implementation of the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam Project&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The purpose is to assess both environmental and social impact of the construction of the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam on both lives and properties in the project affected areas &lpar;PAA&rpar;&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam&comma; which Volta River Authority is assessing the environment&comma;  is located on the White Volta River between the completed Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso upstream and the Akosombo and Kpong Dams in Ghana downstream&period; It is approximately 30km Southwest of Bolgatanga&comma; across the Upper East Region and the North-East Region&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Administratively&comma; the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam Project are located at the Bawku West&comma; Garu Tempane&comma; Talensi&comma; and Binduri Districts in the Upper East Region and Bunkprugu&comma; East Mamprusi and West Mamprusi in the North East Region&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Speaking with the Media in Bolgatanga&comma; the Senior Government and Public Relations Officer of VRA for the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam Project Mr David Prah mentioned that the key objectives of PMD are to develop the Irrigation potential of the White Volta Plains&semi; mitigate flood downstream of the dam&semi; generate power to be injected on the Northern end of the national grid and develop other economic activities in the reservoir&comma; such as fishery&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>According to Mr David Prah the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Project is<br &sol;>&NewLine;a composite dam RCC Dam &plus; Rockfill dam on the left bank &plus; an earth dam on the right bank with crest elevation set at 168 m asl&semi; a Hydro-Power Plant located at the toe of the dam on the left bank with an installed capacity of 59&period;6 MW supplying an average 176 GWh&sol;year of which 100GWh will be delivered with 95&percnt; reliability every year and an Irrigation weir located 50 km downstream of the main dam with cressy elevation set at 133 masl&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;It also includes a 161-kV power transmission line 15km long from the switchyard to the existing Tamale-Bolgatanga&semi; an operator&&num;8217&semi;s village&semi; a 24&comma;841 ha Irrigation Development Area on the left bank of the White Volta and a Solar Plant with an installed capacity of 50 MW&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Hydroelectric Dam and Irrigation Project connected to Volta River Authority&comma; when completed is going to be the Game Changer in the Upper Regions of Ghana and the entire country&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;