Site clearing, construction of camp sites and access roads have started at the site for the construction of Ghana’s Multi-Purpose Dam in the Northern part of the country.
The ongoing works, being carried out by the contractors for the project, Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA), are to pave way for real works to commence.
The hydro-power, irrigation and solar facility is to be constructed at Pwalugu, a boundary community between the North East and Upper East regions of Ghana.
Construction of the dam, funded by the Government of Ghana, with the Volta River Authority (VRA) as it’s implementing and supervising agency, is estimated to take three and half years to be completed.
Community engagement
The Public Relations Officer for the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam Project (PMDP), David Prah, together with a team made up of community development experts, civil engineers, surveyors, resettlement specialists, electrical engineers, among others, from the Volta River Authority (VRA) are carrying out continuous stakeholder and community engagements within the Projects Affected Communities (PAC).
Members of the stakeholder engagement team have so far interacted with the traditional rulers and the community members in some of the affected communities, including Talensi, Nabdam, Garu, Mamprusi West, Mamprusi East, Bunkrugu, Nakpanduri, Zongoyili, among others.
The team has also had “pre-site entry” community sensitization for the affected districts in both North East and Upper East regions with the meeting of the chiefs and people of Timonde, Nabouk, Kaadi, Nakpanduri, Zongoyili, among other affected communities.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in November 2019, performed the sod cutting event at Pwalugu to signify the beginning of the construction of the project.
The PMDP is expected to increase Ghana’s renewable energy capacity from two per cent to 10 per cent by 2030 to meet the United Nations Framework for Climate Change (UNFCC).
