3rd May 2023 12:44:31 PM
2 mins readA once pellucid water bodies bustling with aquatic fauna and flora lie lifeless in an unusual murky-brown colour.
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Satellite images taken by The Independent Ghana from Google Earth show a disturbing destruction done to two natural water bodies located in the Ashanti Region; namely Oda River and Ofin River.
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Pocket of craters dot across the landscape, discharging polluted liquid into the rivers that meandered it way through communities.
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It seems the havoc being wreaked by illegal mining activities popularly referred to as Galamsey across Ghana's forest reserves and water bodies is at its crescendo.
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The Oda River, a source of water supply to the inhabitants of Obuasi Municipality and beyond, is still suffering from heavy pollution.
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Illegal mining is ongoing in the river right at the pumping station of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) at Watereso in the Amansie South District of Ashanti.
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The Ofin River is an easterly-flowing waterway in Ghana. It flowed through the Tano Ofin Reserve in Ghana's Atwima Mponua District.
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But now it is almost like a stagnant water after losing out on the characteristics of good water – it is opaque, has color, and definitely has an odour.
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According to the Forestry Commission, ‘galamsey‘ is threatening 34 of the country’s 288 forest reserves.
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This comes at a time when government’s fight against the menace has been questioned following a report put together by the former chairman of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on illegal mining (IMCIM), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, accusing government officials of engaging in the menace.
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The report by Prof Frimpong-Baoteng raised concerns over permits given to mine in some forest reserves and buffers.
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Speaking at a press conference on the state of Ghana’s Forest Reserves, the CEO of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey said the level of devastation in the affected reserves is dire.
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“34 out of 288 reserves have been affected. These are areas we have significant illegal mining. The total area mapped is about 4,726.2 hectares. This is only the size of the surface, some of these impact is fully in whole. And they excavate lots of materials that will impact the forest. It’s not only the size but the impact on our water bodies and the depth of the holes created. A lot more would have to be done to be able to reclaim the land,” he stated.
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