The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has shut down the Bunso Water Treatment Plant in the Eastern Region due to illegal mining activities on the Birim River.
The shutdown, per reports, took place on December 23. The plant in question serves communities such as Bunso, Atukrom, University for Environment, Cocoa village, Lindador area and Nsuta.
Kojo Dadzie, the Eastern Regional Public Relations Officer of the GWCL who engaged the media said the plant can no longer abstract water as it has become muddy, affecting the water turbidity.
Illegal mining activities have occurred in the water body for years, despite the government’s fight against the menace.
Prior to the closure, the GWCL in July this year, threatened that it would not hesitate shutting down its plants in areas impacted by illegal mining when the turbidity levels of raw water in those areas surpass a critical threshold.
Managing Director Clifford Braimah highlighted the significant impact of illegal mining on the company’s operations and called for collective efforts to address the issue.
“If I had my way, Ghanaians will go and chase away all the galamsayers out of their areas because once the turbidity goes up, we shut the plant. And if you have no alternative access to water, you will take the situation seriously because we stay with the people who pollute the water. And if we [GWCL] shut down, you will not even know where to go to get the water.”
“If you pollute the water and the cost of treatment goes up, why don’t you pay for it because you are making money in one breath polluting the water?” he said in a Public Accounts Committee hearing.