Some residents of the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region want the government to intensify its fight against illegal mining activities in the area.
The residents say illegal mining activities have destroyed water bodies in the area including the river Offin.
Checks by Citi News show that the colour of the River Offin has changed again since the ban on small-scale mining was lifted.
When the government launched a campaign to fight illegal mining popularly known as galamsey in 2017, several water bodies that had hitherto changed colour, returned to their normal state after regaining their natural ecology.
Inhabitants of the Atwima Mponua District are attributing the recent change of colour of River Offin to the activities of illegal miners, who they say returned after the ban was lifted.
The residents say illegal mining is still ongoing in some communities, adding that it is taking place in the River Offin.
“If you don’t tread cautiously around this river, you will drown. The illegal miners have dugouts in the river. If you are not careful, you will drown easily. Not long ago, a young boy got fell in the dugout in the river and died,” a resident lamented.
Residents, particularly farmers say they are unable to use the water for farming and other domestic chores.
They want the government and the Inter-ministerial committee on illegal mining to stop illegal mining in the river Offin.
“When it rains, it could change the colour a bit, but when the government launched a campaign against illegal mining, even when it rained, the river was not as polluted as this. For this, no one can even drink. All boreholes in this area are connected to electricity and for about four days, this community, Adiembra did not have any alternative source of water because we did not have access to electricity. Government has to intensify its fight against illegal mining. Those mining in the communities within this district do not have genuine documents to operate. The Communities around River Offin are those engaging in this act. Children are even involved in the activities.”
“Vegetable farmers in this area are heavily affected. We can no longer use the water from River Offin for irrigation purposes because of the chemicals used by the galamsey operators. It destroys the crops when the water is used,” another stated.
Some residents also alleged that illegal mining activities have been taking place in some forest reserves in the district.
Meanwhile, the District Chief Executive for the area, William Yaw Darko, says illegal mining is not taking place in the area. He attributed the change in the river’s colour to heavy rains recorded in the area.
The DCE says the district will soon introduce community mining where the Assembly will mobilize residents to mine responsibly.
The post Galamsey still ongoing; gov’t must intensify efforts – Atwima Mponua residents appeared first on Citi Newsroom.
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