Panic Grips Notorious Galamsey Kingpins Polluting Rivers

Government’s sustained fight against illegal mining from all angles is apparently sending shivers down the spines of some illegal miners in communities where canker, popularly known as ‘galamsey’ is prevalent.

This is coming on the heels of the acquisition of some patrol boats by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, as a probable permanent solution to curb the pollution of river bodies such as the Ankobrah, Prah, Birim and the Black Volta.

The illegal miners, The Anchor gathered, are said to be uncomfortable ever since the news about procurement of five fully-fitted Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Petrol Boats, which were commissioned on Tuesday, went viral.

They would be used by the security agencies, to patrol river bodies both day and night with support from the Operation Halt III team.

The latest move comes after government rolled out a number of activities including the ban of changfan, launch of Operation Halt II and III and Community Mining Scheme, ostensibly to stop the destruction of rivers bodies and illegal mining in general.

According to the sector Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, the boats are going to be deployed on, to “rid these water bodies of any form of mining. Operation Halt II will, however, continue to support these measures”.

The Minister who commissioned the boats at Beposo in the Western Region, said government is aware there are still unpatriotic and unperturbed Ghanaians assisted by foreign nationals, still polluting various river bodies, as they embark on illegal mining activities.

MrJinapor said these individuals go to the extent of perpetrating their illegal activities under the cover of darkness, with tight protection from armed guards – ending up polluting these important river bodies.

“We have observed that there are still some recalcitrant nation-wreckers, who seek only their selfish interest, at the expense of the national interest, by conniving with others, both locals and foreigners, to outwit our security agencies to pollute these rivers.

Indeed, there are some who have resorted to mining in the night with armed guards, when the security agencies have finished their operation. We have engaged all the sixteen Regional Ministers and their Regional Security Councils, to take these matters up and deal with them upfront”, he said.

The Minister who expressed appreciation to senior officers of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) namely Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, as well as, the Ministry of Defence in the relentless fight against illegal mining, intimated that “The fight against illegal mining must be national concern, and I call on every Ghanaian living everywhere, and particularly communities along the various river bodies, who bear the brunt of these illegalities, to be vigilant, and support us by reporting those involved in these activities”.

He continued “It is our fervent hope that with your vigilance, and these Boats, supported by Operation Halt II, we can find a lasting solution to the pollution of our water bodies”.

The Minister said government was not against small-scale mining but rather abhors any form of mining that destroys the environment that is done contrary to law and the established protocols.

Adding that government is against mining that threatens the lives and livelihoods of millions of our citizens, and so the administration will not hesitate in cracking the whip on those who engage in such illegalities.

He said the Ministry remains committed to the vision of the President Akufo-Addo, to make Ghana the mining hub of Africa, by promoting an orderly, viable, sustainable and environmentally-sound small scale mining industry which is anchored on integrity, and which contributes, meaningfully, to the national economy.

MrJinapor said government will never relent on this effort, but ensure that the goal is realized.

The small-scale mining industry contributes almost forty percent (40%) to Ghana’s gold output. But as a result of its impact on the environment in recent years, small scale mining has, sadly, become associated with environmental degradation and water pollution.

According to the sector minister, these negative environmental impacts reached their crescendo, between 2014 and 2016, with a near total breakdown of the regulation in the sector.

In his State of the Nation Address, last year, President Akufo-Addo, called for a dispassionate, non-partisan and broad-based National Dialogue on small scale mining. This led to the National Dialogue, where the government adopted a fifteen-point resolution, aimed at tackling the menace head-on, and two Regional Dialogues in the Forest and Savannah Zones.

Since then, the Ministry has declared water bodies as Red Zones for Mining, and suspended all reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploration activities in Forest Reserves. “We have placed a ban on the manufacture, fabrication, and/or use of the floating device popularly known as Changfan, one of the main equipment used for the pollution of our water bodies”, he said.

MrJinapor outlined a number of measures that have been rolled out by his Ministry ostensibly to stop illegal mining which largely threatens these river bodies.

He said “We rolled out Operation Halt II, to enforce these measures, with an additional mandate to demobilise and decommission all equipment used for illegal mining in Red Zones.

To promote sustainable small-scale mining, we revamped the Community Mining Scheme, and developed an Operational Manual, setting standards for their operation. So far, a total of thirty-four (34) of these Schemes, have been commissioned since last year, with an additional eleven (11) ready to be commissioned in the coming days”.

He added that to provide alternative sources of livelihood for those who are, unavoidably, affected by the measures being taken to clamp down on illegal mining, the government has introduced a National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP), as a substitute to illegal mining. The Programme, which includes reclamation, afforestation and reforestation, already provides direct employment for some three hundred and two (302) people, and indirect employment to over eighty thousand (80,000) people.

Last month, government marked another important milestone in the fight against illegal mining, particularly, as it relates to the pollution of our water bodies, with the commissioning of one hundred (100) mercury-free gold processing equipment, known as Gold Katcha. Apart from their capacity to recover about ninety percent (90%) of gold from the ore, and thereby giving small scale miners much more gold, Gold Katchas provide an alternative means of extracting the gold without polluting our water bodies and the natural environment.

He said these measures have resulted in some successes, with some of the water bodies visibly clearing up. To assess the level of pollution of the rivers the Minister embarked on a helicopter tour on these river bodies, and ended in Beposo.

Source: Anchorghana