A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE

THE intended opening of the Bagre Dam by Burkina Faso has spurred action on the part of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Volta River Authority (VRA) in a bid to get residents in the three northern regions from the way of disaster.
In the past, the opening of the dam had left farmers and residents around the White and Black Volta rivers worse off as a result of the serious flooding.
Indeed, last year when the country was given just 24 hours to prepare before the dam was spilled, five people lost their lives in the Bolgatanga Municipality and Bawku West District.
This year, there has been interaction between government officials of the two countries and there are indications of a well co-ordinated approach to the opening of the dam.
Thus, one would have expected that there should not be any concerns over the intended spillage, but that is not to be. Concerns expressed so far have stemmed from the refusal of some local people to quit the area likely to be flooded as a result of the spillage.
One cannot help but wonder the motivation for such recalcitrance. Natural human behaviour follows the guide that in the face of adversity or danger there is an irrepressible instinct to survive and human beings are likely to fight for their survival. The defiant posture adopted by the local people gives an indication that they may be ignorant of the real danger ahead.
Yet, with the past as a guide, it should not be an issue of ‘let’s wait and see’ approach to the immediate impact of the spillage.
The Deputy National Co-ordinator of NADMO could not have said it any better when he sounded a note of caution and emphasised that the international community would not forgive the country, especially NADMO, if it remained aloof in spite of the timely warning from Burkina Faso.
Given the options before us, the local people need to be told in strong and uncompromising terms that the country has a responsibility to protect lives and property.
It is welcome relief that there are well fashioned plans to harvest food crops before the spillage of the dam and the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to admonish that the farmers must see this as the best way out of an inevitable spillage.
Yes, the local people may count some losses but the greater losses will be avoided, if precautionary measures are taken and as a country we can look into the future with greater hope.
We also believe that NADMO, in seeking to get the farmers and residents out of the danger zones, will engage in effective dialogue and involve key opinion leaders, farmers associations and chiefs in the discussions.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also hails efforts by NADMO to educate the people on the need to change the traditional building code and build houses that can withstand the impact of flood waters.
This is one area that seems to have been ignored in the quest to check the impact of floods in the northern regions and the present education drive emphasises the impressive shift to a proactive posture in disaster management.
It is hoped that this proactive orientation that has also been expressed in the seemingly new-found zeal of Disaster Volunteer Groups and Fire Fighting Volunteers at the local level will be sustained to avoid the loss of innocent lives in the event of disasters.