An increase in illicit mining operations in the Densu River basin, which provides Accra with a vital supply of water, could worsen the city’s over 2 million inhabitants’ water scarcity. The Densu River is treated by Ghana Water Company Limited before being distributed, but mining pollution has caused dangerously high turbidity levels. Miners have overrun the Densu Basin, trespassing on buffers and using excavators to mine right in the river, spewing toxic chemicals into the water. The river’s channel was changed to allow for heavy mining, which is now possible day and night without worry.
Assemblywoman Cynthia Dansoa of the Potrase Electoral Area lamented the destruction, and the Water Resources Commission’s assistant basin officer, Kaba Abakeh, issued a warning about the dangerously high turbidity levels. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Eastern Regional Director, Felix Addo-Okyere, declared the situation to be a national security concern that needed immediate attention. It seems that the government’s Operation Vanguard task force has stopped talking, permitting the destruction of forest reserves and bodies of water.
Stakeholders and environmentalists wonder if the battle against illicit mining is lost. Hopeson A Rocha Ghana’s landscape manager, Eli Etsra, underlined the urgency of taking steps to preserve the Densu River. During a recent visit, armed illegal miners confronted the Minerals Commission, demonstrating the difficulties in resolving the issue.
Source: citinewsroom
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