The Volta River Authority (VRA) has revealed that it will take three years for the Pwalugu multi-purpose dam to be completed.

The $993 million project, which is expected to hold the water spilt from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso, was to be completed in 15 months.

During the sod-cutting ceremony in November 2019, President Akufo-Addo reassured residents that the project when complete will avert the perennial flooding in the area.

Twenty months on, the President’s promise has not materialised as Burkinabe authorities prepare to spill excess water from the Bagre dam on Friday, August 27,

Some residents in the Upper East, Northern and North East regions have expressed worry over their possible displacement by what has become an annual ritual of flooding.

But PRO of the Volta River Authority, David Prah says President Akufo-Addo’s timeline was to prepare the site for actual construction which will begin in November 2021 and take three years to complete.

“The President was not saying that in 15 months the project will be completed. The President was talking about all the processes that we need to go through before the actual dam construction takes place because you are talking about 11,000 hectares of land.

“We begin actual land construction between November and December this year. The actual land construction will take about three years,” he said.

Meanwhile, farmers and residents living along the White Volta River in the North East Region are rushing to salvage their farm produce, as part of preparations to evacuate to safety ahead of the spillage of the Bagre dam in neighboring Burkina Faso.