Two major water bodies, River Bia and River Tano, in the Western North Region have been spotted clearing up after being polluted heavily by illegal mining activities commonly known as “galamseyâ€.
The government launched its fight against illegal mining in 2017 due to the rate at which these miners were destroying both land and water resources in the country.
Illegal small-scale miners mined in river bodies and polluted them by dumping harmful chemicals.
A recent visit by Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, to the Western North Region brought excitement to him due to the positive results the government’s clampdown on illegal mining has yielded.
He, however, cautioned authorities not to relax since there is more to be done in the fight against illegal mining in the country.
River Bia and River Tano, being one of the main sites where these mining activities took place almost lost its aquatic life due to the level of pollution and chemicals dumped in them.
The residents who had their main source of water from these rivers were forced to find alternative sources of water.
Samuel Jinapor was in the region to solicit support from the relevant stakeholders in the fight to effectively curb illegal mining.
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister met with the Western North Regional Minister, Richard Ebbah Obeng, and begun his one-day tour around the mining sites.
Samuel Jinapor also met with the regional security council, the regional house of chiefs and some agencies under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to seek their support in the Greening Ghana agenda and responsible mining.
He also noted that there are some strategies that are being put in place to curb illegal mining activities in the near future.