Staatsolie Power Company Says it Was Forced to Discharge Excess Water as Heavy Rains Continue to Affect Suriname

PARAMARIBO, Suriname – The Staatsolie Power Company Suriname (SPCS), says it has been forced to open blow down valves in order to guarantee the integrity of the Afobaka dam as the country continues to deal with the impact of heavy rains during the traditional dry season.

Heavy rains have caused widespread flooding in Suriname“For SPCS, the integrity of the dam is the highest priority and the company guarantees this. All continuous and periodic measurements indicate that the dam is in top condition and there is no danger of any kind that could affect the integrity of the dam.

“The discharge of the excess water at this time is absolutely necessary to maintain the integrity and an important part of the professional operation of a hydroelectric power station,” the power company said in a statement.

The persistent heavy rains in the south of the country have led to the flooding of a number of villages and much of the Brokopondo district and the situation has now worsened because the hydroelectric power station has opened the discharge valves.

As result, dozens of villages in the Suriname River basin have been flooded and the National Coordination Center or Disaster Management (NCCR) has been forced to evacuate people and provide emergency aid.

Several legislators have since questioned the logic behind releasing the waters and have visited the hydroelectric power station to further discuss the situation.

Under normal circumstances there is no need to open the valves since the month of March is considered to be part of the dry season.

But SPCS said March has recorded unprecedented rainfall and more than five times the average amount of water received in the reservoir over the past 30 years.

“The aim of SPCS has always been to discharge in such a way that the communities located downstream experience minimal flooding -so-called safe spill. Due to the extreme amount of water from the Upper Suriname area and the lack of the short dry season, SPCS had no choice but to increase the discharge amount,” the company said.

“As a result, parts of villages under the reservoir have been flooded,” it said, adding current simulations indicate that the increased discharge rate will continue in the coming month.