By Dorothy Frances Ward, GNA
Kumasi Aug. 13, GNA – The government has been urged to intensify efforts and take swift action to protect the Volta Lake and its banks from the growing threat of pollution caused by illegal mining (galamsey) activities.
The call follows increasing concerns over the destruction and pollution of Ghana’s water bodies, rivers and their tributaries by galamsey activities, which could pose serious threat to the Volta Lake, a major water resource in the country.
Dr. Owusu Fordjour Aidoo, an Environmental Expert and Academic Researcher, who made the call in an interview with Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, said the Volta Lake, which was created in the 1960s, remained one of Ghana’s most important water resources and played a significant role in the country’s economic and social development.
The Volta Lake, he said, was a great legacy for the nation; and illegal miners must not be allowed to damage it as had been done to other water bodies in the country.
The lake also provided a source of livelihood for thousands of people, particularly fishermen and fish traders, while also supporting transportation, agriculture, tourism and other economic activities.
Dr. Aidoo said the pollution of the lake could have far-reaching consequences for communities whose livelihoods depended directly or indirectly on the water body.
Dr. Aidoo further indicated that illegal mining activities often involved the destruction of vegetation along riverbanks and the use of harmful chemicals in the extraction of minerals.
Those substances, together with soil and other waste materials generated through mining, could be washed into streams and rivers and eventually find their way into the Volta Lake.
This, he said, could increase the turbidity of the water and negatively affect fish and other aquatic organisms.
He expressed concern that continued contamination of the lake could affect the quality of fish consumed by the public and create additional challenges for communities that depend on the lake as a source of water.
Dr. Aidoo said the government must treat the protection of the Volta Lake as a matter of national importance and take immediate steps to prevent illegal mining activities in areas that feed the lake.
Security Agencies must be resourced to be able to intensify patrols and surveillance along the lake, rivers and tributaries that serve as major channels into the lake.
He again mentioned that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other institutions responsible for environmental protection must strengthen monitoring and ensure that persons who violated environmental laws were dealt with accordingly.
Dr. Aidoo stressed that enforcement must be consistent and should not be limited to periodic operations against illegal miners.
He however, commended the government for the efforts being made to fight galamsey menace in the country and advocated for regular monitoring of water quality, identification of polluted areas and the restoration of degraded lands and riverbanks.
According to him, illegal mining fight was the responsibility of all Ghanaians and urged traditional leaders to work closely with government and law enforcement agencies to fight and prevent its activities in their traditional areas.
“Chiefs and traditional rulers’ involvement in fighting illegal mining is crucial and can be effective, he stated.
He also urged residents living around the Volta Lake and its tributaries to report illegal mining activities to the appropriate authorities.
The continuous awareness of the drastic consequences of illegal mining must be carried out by the media and stakeholders so that the country will not have to import even water in the near future.
He added that the public must be made to understand that the consequences of water pollution would ultimately affect everyone, including those who did not participate in illegal mining.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Benjamin Mensah
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