A suspected illegal miner has issued a threat, warning that the ongoing destruction of water bodies due to illegal mining activities will persist until there is no potable water for domestic and commercial purposes.
In a video gone viral, an anonymous voice linked the high cost of water to his his resolve to keep destroying Ghana’s water bodies.
“We will keep destroying the water bodies. A bag of water is GHC7. A common bag of water is GHC7. We will keep destroying the water bodies,” the voice stated.
X users, in reaction to the video, have called on the Ghana Police Service to manhunt the culprit and bring him to book.
“How are they going scot-free for leaving the lands in such a bad state? some of these people should be set as an example, else they’ll always have the guts to spew n0nsense like this guy,” a user wrote.
Despite the mining sector’s economic contribution, environmentalists and health professionals have raised alarms about the environmental degradation caused by illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
Rivers such as the Bonsa in the Western Region and the Pra in the Ashanti Region have suffered severe pollution due to toxic chemicals used in mining activities. Forest reserves, including the Tano Nimiri in the Western North Region and the Draw River in the Western Region, have also been heavily impacted.
Recent calls from the Trades Union Congress and several civil society groups have urged President Akufo-Addo to impose a ban on all illegal mining activities and declare a state of emergency in affected mining regions.
On Wednesday, September 11, Organised Labour issued a firm ultimatum, threatening a nationwide strike by the end of the month if the government fails to take decisive action against the escalating galamsey crisis.