By Edward Acquah, GNA
Accra, Oct. 21, GNA – Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, has called for tougher measures against illegal miners, saying their activities demonstrate blatant disregard for Ghana’s laws and the environment.
During a visit to illegal mining sites at Osino in the Eastern Region on Tuesday, she expressed shock at the extent of environmental destruction.
Large areas of arable land had been degraded, with deep pits filled with stagnant water and vegetation destroyed.
Some miners fled upon seeing the Minister’s convoy.
“What we saw at Osino was disappointing and disheartening, and I must say we have to do a lot better,” she said at a meeting with the Eastern Regional Minister, Mrs Rita Akosua Awatey, after the visit.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said the Government had provided alternative pathways for small-scale miners to operate sustainably, including training in environmentally responsible mining methods.
“People who are engaged in this must not think that the quest for wealth should be above anything else,” she said, adding that those who continued to flout the law must face tougher sanctions.
She also called for the establishment of environmental fast-track courts to ensure that cases involving environmental destruction were dealt with more efficiently.
The Minister described illegal mining as both an environmental and public health crisis, warning that the use of hazardous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide could expose communities to serious health risks.
“This is not just an issue around the environment. It’s a health crisis as well,” she said.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings urged the Eastern Regional Security Council to intensify efforts to tackle illegal mining, particularly at Osino, where mining activities were continuing close to a main road despite plans for land reclamation.
She said she and Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), would engage the Minister of Finance on issues arising from the visit.
Mrs Awatey acknowledged that illegal mining remained a major concern in the region and pledged to work with relevant stakeholders to address the problem sustainably.
Professor Klutse said small-scale miners required a permit costing GH¢6,000 to operate legally, adding that illegal miners often encroached on concessions belonging to other operators.
She said the EPA would continue to collaborate with stakeholders to tackle the menace.
Illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has contributed to the degradation of farmland, destruction of forests and pollution of rivers and other water bodies in Ghana, threatening livelihoods and access to safe water.
The Government said it had retaken nine forest reserves previously occupied by armed illegal miners and designated as “red zones”, although efforts to curb illegal mining continue.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Edward Acquah
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