A hundred and fifty capacity search and rescue vessel has been deployed to the Ghana Navy detachment at Kpando Torkor in the Volta region by the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA).
The deployment of the vessel, according to officials of the GMA, is part of efforts aimed at providing safe and timely rescue of persons in times of accidents and emergencies on the Volta Lake.
Accidents on the Volta Lake have become a regular occurrence lately. According to a performance audit report by the Auditor-General in 2024, some 34 persons died in such accidents involving 23 watercrafts on the Volta Lake between 2019 to 2023.
But more worrying, is the unavailability of a vessel to provide search and rescue services during such disasters -with local boats and canoes becoming the only option hence the move by the maritime authority.
Ing. Emmanuel Tukpeyi, who led the team to Kpando Torkor, told 3news that the GMA took the decision to deploy the vessel known as ‘Martey Korle’ to Kpando Torkor after a thorough search for a suitable location.
“We were looking for a place to deploy our rescue boat because of accidents on the lake and in our search, we found out that Kpando Torkor is the most suitable,” he said.
“From the research that we did, we saw that the accidents happen around the crossing area here,” he added.
He stressed that, the vessel is the first and only rescue vessel to have been deployed to the enclave while underscoring the need to provide timely, safe and efficient rescue services during accidents on the lake.
In the four-year period (2019-2024), the maritime authority spent over GH94.m to implement safety measures on inland waterways with the deployment of the rescue vessel to Kpando Torkor, a further step in that direction.
Municipal Chief Executive for Kpando, Killian Donkor, who received the vessel, cautioned personnel of the Ghana Navy against using it for commercial activities.
“As far as I’m concerned, the vessel is for rescue purposes, so I want to urge the Navy to ensure that the vessel is not used for any other activities rather than the purpose for which it was brought here,” he cautioned.
Over 1-million passengers and farm produce, including fishes amounting to 112,000 tonnes are transported on the Volta Lake annually.
By Faisel Abdul-Iddrisu
