By Prince Acquah, GNA
Cape Coast, March 21, GNA – Stakeholders in the water sector have warned of more severe consequences including the importation of water and the looming spread of acute diseases if the illegal mining (galamsey) in waterbodies is allowed to fester.
They cautioned that the reckless destruction and indiscriminate pollution of major waterbodies with lethal chemicals through the galamsey menace had reached alarming rates and was undermining efforts to provide potable water to the populace.
They have, consequently, called for more drastic and coordinated actions through multi-stakeholder collaborations to clamp down on the crisis before Ghana experienced the worst.
This came to light at a workshop organised jointly by the Ghana Water Limited (GWL) and the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on the back of GWL’s recent operational challenges induced by galamsey.
The participants included the Environmental Protection Agency, Water Resource Commission, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Coalition of NGOS in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS), chiefs, journalists and researchers.
Dr Clifford Braimah, the Managing Director of GWL, in an address delivered on his behalf, painted a gloomy picture at the company’s Sekyere Hemang and Daboase treatment plants due to high pollution of the Pra River.
He said galamsey activities had muddied the water, raising its turbidity to abnormal levels, reducing the volumes of inflow, and forcing them to cut down operations by 30 per cent.
The situation had resulted in high operational costs as they were paying more for electricity, maintenance and treatment chemicals, he said, and that some communities, including Cape Coast and Elmina, were facing acute water shortage.
The Sekyere Hemang treatment plant was designed in 2008 to withstand a maximum turbidity of 500NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units) while that of Daboase was designed in 1969 to deal with a turbidity of 54NTU.
But the average turbidity recorded recently is 8,000NTU.
The company said it had a record 13,000NTU last Tuesday, which dropped to 11,000NTU on Wednesday, March 20, at which point it should have shut down but for some new chemicals.
Between 2008 and 2003, GWL had spent more than GHS4 million to replace the original pumps at the Sekyere Hemang Treatment Plant alone, which should have lasted 25 years, Dr Brimah said.
Considering the challenges, he said it was crucial to collectively address the root causes to protect water resources for both present and future generations.
“This requires close collaboration between our law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies, with maximum cooperation and collaboration from local authorities to identify and dismantle illegal mining sites and prosecute those responsible for environmental degradation,” he said.
“This requires a multi-faceted approach encompassing robust regulatory frameworks, strict enforcement mechanisms, community engagements and sustainable resource management practices.”
Mr Seth Eric Atiapah, the Central Regional Chief Manager of GWL, who spoke on the situation at Sekyere Hemang, attributed it to the lack of enforcement of the country’s laws.
Having lost 30 per cent of capacity already, he warned that they could lose more capacity if the destruction continued, saying water was becoming a scarce commodity.
“If galamsey is not stopped, water supply to Sekondi-Takoradi, Cape Coast, Elmina and surrounding communities will be seriously challenged,” he added.
“The brazen display of mining machines on the waterbodies is as if it’s a showoff, it is done with disrespect and impunity. Sometimes you see them working and they ignore you as if you don’t matter,” he observed.
To the extent that the high cost of treatment and health consequences affected everybody, Mr Atiapah said galamsay was everybody’s business and, therefore, appealed to all stakeholders, especially communities, chiefs and opinion leaders to support the fight.
He called for the enforcement and compliance of robust regulatory framework and environmental and mining laws.
Prof David Kofi Essumang, a Professor of the Chemistry Department, UCC, noted that Ghana’s water purification system did not completely take out poison introduced into the water and warned of health complications such as kidney problems.
He cautioned of dangerous times of water scarcity where Ghana could be importing water in 15 years if the status quo remained.
“If we don’t make serious efforts to stop this menace, then in no time, we are going to lose all these waterbodies,” he said.
“If we are not careful, our water will become unwholesome and we cannot drink but have to resort to getting water from other places to supplement what we have in the country.”
He said citizens should make every effort to stop the pollution by the illegal miners, calling on all stakeholders to get on board to find a lasting solution to the problem.
Prof Albert Ebo Duncun of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of UCC downplayed the use of brute force in tackling the matter, indicating that it had not been effective.
Instead, he said, the State must take a more friendly approach, appealing to the conscience of communities, chiefs and even the perpetrators to appreciate the consequences of their actions.
“The military thing will not work. Operation vanguard did not work. We need to bring our chiefs back and they need to play an active role,” Prof Duncun said.
“Until we empower the chiefs and communities to get involved and take charge, we are not getting anywhere.”
He called for an effective Integrated Water Resource Management where all relevant institutions worked together to end the illegality.
Osagyefo Amanfo Edu VI, Omanhen of the Mankessim Traditional Area, suggested that public hearing on environmental impact assessments and permits should not be limited to large scale miners alone.
That way, the communities would be more informed and hold every miner accountable for their actions.
Madam Kesewaa Appenteng-Addo, the Central Regional Manager, PURC, stressed the need for all to appreciate the importance of water and pledged the Commission’s commitment to the fighting against the onslaught.
GNA