Galamsey land reclamation begins in Western Region
The Western Regional Security Council (RCC) has begun the reclamation of several thousands of hectares of land and forest reserves that have been stripped bare because of illegal mining activities.
Advertisement
The regional security council has estimated that the total land degradation runs into several thousands of hectares and almost all water bodies in the region, including underground water, have been affected by pollutants.
The reclamation process, which started last Tuesday in the Ellembelle District, is under joint military/police supervision.
At the time the joint team arrived in the degraded area, several other operators were still in the bush working and took to their heels after they had the hint that the national security team had arrived.
The team first carried out a survey, and all the power generators, water pumping machines and other equipment were moved to one location to pave the way for the clearing of illegal structures and reclamation of the land.
Also the Electricity Company of Ghana, which hitherto had extended power supply to the people, had cut supply to the area and earth-moving machines were busily working to reclaim the land.
The area was flooded with water from the stream and underground water due to the open pits.
The process went smoothly because the operators, who were over 7,000, were taken unawares as a path was created to the area without their knowledge.
In the Western Region, notable areas that have been degraded are in the Ahanta West, Mpohor Wassa East, Tarkwa Nsuaem, Prestea Huni-Valley, Amenfi East, Amenfi West and Amenfi Central, part of Sefwi areas and the Ellembelle districts.
In these areas, thousands of hectares of land have been destroyed.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Western Regional Minister, Mr E.K.T. Addo, said the illegal mining activities by some few people at the expense of the larger members of the community would be halted.
He said after the operation at Ellembelle, the team would move to another location and that the operation would continue until all degraded lands were reclaimed.
The minister said as they were allowed to work without licence, several lives were put at risk.
“Surface and underground water was polluted, the vegetative cover of the country’s forest reserves have been stripped bare just to satisfy the selfish interest of some few people without any plan of reclamation,” he said.
Mr Addo recalled that recently, Ghana Water Company could not get water at its intake point to treat water for public consumption due to the illegal activities on the water bodies in the country.
By Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu/Daily Graphic/Ghana