The Head of Strategy, Policy, and Campaigns at WaterAid Ghana, Ibrahim Musah, has strongly condemned illegal gold miners in Ghana, describing them as “mass murderers” due to the devastating impact of their activities on the country’s water bodies.
Speaking to the media in Bolgatanga, Mr. Musah lamented that illegal mining, commonly referred to as ‘galamsey’, has caused widespread pollution of water bodies, making it increasingly difficult for the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to supply clean drinking water.
“Those involved in illegal mining, they are mass murderers, and the state should not hesitate to prosecute these people. They must take them through the law processes to prosecute them. You have no idea how Ghana Water currently is struggling in most of its treatment plants to get water, to be able to supply. If you go to Cape Coast, Takoradi, Koforidua, most of the Ghana water treatment plants are under attack by the ravages of illegal mining,” he stressed.
Mr. Musah further called on the state to take decisive action by prosecuting individuals engaged in illegal mining, arguing that their actions pose serious health and environmental threats. He specifically urged the Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology, as well as the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, to accelerate efforts to nip illegal mining in the bud.
He was speaking in line with a study by WaterAid Ghana which revealed alarming trends of significant reductions in surface water and groundwater recharge in the Nabdam, Bongo, Bawku West, and Kassena-Nankana districts and the Kassena-Nankana Municipal in the Upper East region. The findings point to a deeper and growing water crisis, exacerbated by climate change, as these districts struggle to cope with increasing temperatures, reduced rainfall, and extreme weather patterns.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.com|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga
