The authorities in Burkina Faso have opened the spillways of the Bagre Dam as earlier warned. The Upper East Region minister Mark Woyongo confirmed this to Joy News. It will however take a few days for the full effect of the spillage to be felt in parts of the region. In previous years, houses, farms were drowned by heavy floods, leaving residents homeless for many days. The National Disaster Management Organization has advised residents, mostly farmers in the areas that are likely to feel the impact to move. They are however adamant. Upper East NADMO Coordinator, Patrick Akake is meanwhile hopeful the damage this time will be minimal. Government in the long term is planning to build a dam across the White Volta at Pwalugu to harvest the flood waters for hydroelectric power and irrigation of farmlands in the surrounding areas.