Government has announced the passage of the Dam Safety Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2236) which provides the legal framework for the management of all dams in Ghana.

A statement released by the Water Resources Commission and signed by the Public Relations Officer, Adwoa Munkua Dako said:” Regulations apply to all dams and like structures with a safety risk and all activities related to them. Therefore, the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of dams and all activities necessarily required to ensure their safe operation are subject to licensing. A dam under these regulations refers to an artificial barrier created/ constructed to impound water.”

The L.I. is made up of 39 regulations and 7 schedules, the statement noted.

According to the commission, the regulations cover a broad spectrum of the establishment and structure of the Dam Safety Unit, the registration and classification of dams, and the procedures for obtaining Dam Safety Licences.

The statement added: “Further, the regulations include the processes to be observed in the construction, operation and maintenance of dams that have safety risks.”

Enforcement and Penalties

“For the purposes of the performance of its functions and the exercise of its powers under the Regulations, the Commission may bring an action before any court of competent jurisdiction in order to seek a remedy relating to the enforcement of these Regulations.

“A person who contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of these Regulations commits an offence and is liable upon summary conviction to a range of fines not exceeding 750 penalty units or terms of imprisonment not exceeding two years or to both such fine and imprisonment.”

However, the Schedules in the Dam Safety Regulations detail out qualifications of dam personnel, all relevant application forms and the mode and criteria for classification of dams.

The components and applications under this L.I. are scheduled to be submitted to the National Dam Safety Unit of the WRC for consideration.

The NPP government promised in its 2016 manifesto to implement a policy to sink a dam in every village in the three northern regions – Northern, three East and Upper West regions – as part of its measures to enhance agricultural productivity in the Savanna regions.

Largely the passage of this L.I has provided some comprehensive legal framework for the implementation of the policy, (1-village-1-dam) signaling the political will thereof  as promised by the ruling NPP government.

 Source: Kasapafmonline