Mr Wise Ametefe, an expert in hydro engineering, has called for safety audit of all buildings and bridges affected by the spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong dams in the Eastern regions.
He said the rushing waters may cause erosion and undermine the structural integrity of the affected buildings and warned that weakened structures could endanger the lives of their occupants.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Ametefe, who is the immediate-past Registrar of the Engineering Council, said the safety audit should be done immediately after the flood waters recede to avert another disaster.
Many houses in communities along the Lower Volta basin have been submerged as a result of the spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong dams, which began on September 15.
At least 26,000 people in the affected areas have been displaced, with properties, including farmlands destroyed – but the extent of the damage is yet to be officially quantified.
Mr Ametefe said the Assemblies in the affected areas should collaborate with the Engineering Council to conduct the necessary inspection and tests on all affected structures.
He also urged affected house owners to refrain from reoccupying their houses until they have been cleared by authorities as safe.
“We need to have safety audit of the houses, roads, culverts, and bridges. The water was flowing very fast and there could be some undermining or erosion along the piers of the bridge which can cause problems later.
“The critical ones are the houses. We have to find out whether it is necessary for the people to move into all the affected houses. Some will have to be inspected to see the strength of the houses to make sure there are no damages anywhere.” Mr Ametefe said.
The spillage created one of the worst humanitarian crises in Ghana as many people were displacement with the unprecedented rising levels the Volta River, which large tributaries sourced from the Sahel are overflowing their banks.
Data from the Ghana Meteorology Agency (GMet) shows that the Sahelian countries are receiving above normal rainfall distribution.
The other event contributing to the high volumes of water inflow is the above normal rainfall that occurred at the north-eastern part of the country, a basin of the White Volta.
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