Pwalugu Dam: Only 12% of work done with 1 year left to complete project

President Nana Akuffo-Addo on November 2019, cut the sod for the commencement of the construction of the much talked about multipurpose pwalugu dam.

The construction of the project is one of the largest investment in the Northern part of the country when completed.  It is estimated to cost the state US$993.

The four-year scheduled project is lurking with only 12% of work done.

It consist of a hydro solar , hybrid system which is about 6MW hero power and 50mw solar power .

The two technologies when completed would complement each other to provide reliable and stable electricity supply to the national grid. The project would also provide an irrigation scheme covering about 25,000 hectares of land as well as to improve water supply to the Northern sector.

Construction site

Unfortunately,  the project, which is expected to address the perennial flooding that usually occur as a result of  the yearly spillage of the Bagre dam in Burkina Faso, has not seen some major physical works three years after the sod cutting. The president in 2019 indicated that the construction of the dam project will also see affected persons resettled.

Addressing a durbar of Chiefs and people of the Upper-East and North East Regions, the president noted that the project was in  fulfilment of the pledge the NPP government made to the people.

The president indicated that the project would be the single, largest investment ever made by any Government in the northern part of the country.

He said his government believe in the fact that the transformation and development of the North depended on infrastructural development and that irrigation remain the key to ensuring food security.

The President further intimated that the project was expected to increase the country’s annual rice production by about 117,000 tonnes. This, he noted will reduce rice importation by 16 per cent and as such will contribute to the growth of the aquaculture sector.

Residents  in the  Upper East Region are worried that the much touted project   has been abandoned after the sod cutting three years ago.   

Residents in the region are disappointed that the president did not comment on the project during his recent visit to the region.

Rev. John Akaribo, Upper East Region focal person for peasant farmers express his disappointment over the near grounding of the project.  For him, the project is one of the “ politically reserve projects” initiated to organised votes.

Construction site

Speaking exclusively to the  ‘Word Community Watch’, the project coordinator of the Pwalugu multipurpose dam- Mr Eric Adu-Dankwa outlined some of the progress made so far after the president sod cutting. He noted that  work done so far on the project is not above 12%.

He disclosed that the physical work done so far  are; the contractor’s camp, the road leading to the site , control pillars and the boundary pillars  for the  cadastral survey.

He indicated that the project is a multi sectorial one “ I think that the memo that was approved by Parliament had the signatures of the ministry of food and agriculture, ministry for energy and that of  finance. so some of the issues, I think the ministry of finance will be in the better  position to talk about them. so from where I sit, I can only give some technical information”.

Construction site

Mr. Eric noted that China have failed to fulfil it part of financing the project. “initially i think Power China was suppose to give out some money, but along the line,  they failed. But because government is committed to finishing the project, government decided to go ahead with it,  but the main challenge is that the project  does not have a separate budget.”

He stated that the delay in executing the project could affect the initial cost of the project .

Gadpard Ayuureneeya.

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