The Chief of Vea in the Bongo District, Naba Thomas Azubire 11, has expressed concern about the annual spillage of the Vea Dam during the rainy season.

Speaking to the GNA at Vea, the chief said communities near the dam are usually cut off during the rainy season when the Dam gets too full and is spilled over.

The Vea Dam near Bolgatanga is the main source of drinking water for the Bolgatanga Municipality and is also used for irrigation during the dry season.

He blamed the problem on silting and said since the 1960s when the dam was built it had not been de-silted neither had it seen any major repairs.

“As the rainy season approaches my communities have started panicking as many of them cannot cross the water to the Bongo District and Bolgatanga Municipal to transact business,” he said.

Naba Thomas Azubire said the people who suffered most during the spillage were pregnant women who could not cross the water to access health care at Bongo and Bolgatanga.

He said several appeals had been made through the Bongo District Assembly to the government but nothing had been done and cited an instance when the community made an appeal to the District Assembly for a canoe but it refused to support them.

“It is high time the government listens to the people of the Vea Community or else we will advise ourselves not to vote for any government this time”.

He said there was the need for the rehabilitation of the entire irrigation project particularly the laterals and canals that had broken down and could not supply water from the dam to the farms.

Naba Thomas Azubire said when the dam was de-silted it would conserve a lot of rain water that otherwise would have been wasted.