Ghana is set to go into lockdown on Monday, September 30, as civil servants and labor unions ramp up their campaign against illegal mining, also known as Galamsey. The environmental devastation caused by these unregulated operations has fueled growing calls for immediate government intervention, including declaring a state of emergency in mining areas and canceling mining licenses.
Recent reports from Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) highlight the gravity of the situation, which includes severe water shortages caused by the contamination of key water sources. According to the GWCL, 60% of the country’s major water bodies have been polluted, and water treatment systems are being overwhelmed by turbidity levels that have risen to an average of 14,000 NTU, far exceeding their capacity of 2,000 NTU.
Calls for Emergency Action
A coalition of civil society organizations, labor unions, media outlets, and religious leaders has stepped up its pressure on the government to act quickly. They want a state of emergency declared in all affected areas, security forces deployed to clear illegal miners from bodies of water, and mining licenses revoked immediately.
Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, Convener of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, emphasized the gravity of the situation, saying, “When you go to war and poison the enemy’s water, it is considered a war crime. However, here, people are poisoning their own water, and leaders are failing to act. “This is a crisis, and the president must act immediately.”
Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President of the Ghana Journalists Association, echoed these concerns, urging the government to deploy the military to affected areas and cancel all mining permits in protected biodiversity zones.
Environmental Crisis
Illegal mining has caused widespread devastation throughout the country. In addition to contaminating water bodies, it has devastated farmlands, particularly in cocoa-producing regions, and led to the destruction of at least 34 forest reserves.
As the country prepares for the lockdown, all eyes are on the government to respond to the escalating crisis and take the necessary steps to halt the environmental degradation that is endangering the country’s water supply and agricultural productivity.
