More arrests in relation to illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, have recently been carried out across the country, in efforts to clamp down on the canker.

About two weeks ago, 164 arrests were made in Anyinam and Mampong in a three-day operation by the Operation Halt task force.

In a related development, one more person has been arrested, and 12 excavators have been seized by the soldiers under the second phase of Operation Halt.

The latest arrest was carried out after members of the task force stormed mining sites within the Atwima Mponua and Amansie South districts of the Ashanti region.

One car and a motorbike were also impounded at some mining sites during the operation. The activities of illegal miners have become rife in the country despite laws and measures instituted to clamp down on their activities.

The activities of these illegal miners have immensely destroyed water bodies such as the River Pra, Offin, and Birim; land resources have also been spared.

According to recent statistics from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), over 19,000 hectares of cocoa farmland have been destroyed as a result of the activities of illegal miners. With the current happenings, a section of the public has come to the conclusion that the galamsey fight is a lost cause.

Meanwhile, the government has vehemently contested this claim, insisting that it will not relent on clamping down on illegal miners and their activities.

Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has, on many occasions, re-echoed the government’s commitment to

battling malaria in the country.

In addition to the Operation Halt task force introduced to check the canker, the government also launched a small-scale mining awards programme, which seeks to promote and encourage responsible small-scale mining last year.

Speaking at the launch of this year’s award programme, Mr. HIV: Don’t be scared, get checked – GHANET assures Jinapor noted that the government remains unwavering in its efforts to sanitise and regulate the small-scale mining sector, which provides an estimated 40 percent of Ghana’s total gold output.

“The government is very mindful of the consequential and important nature of the small-scale mining sector of our country,” he noted, although he acknowledged that there are pertinent challenges that need to be addressed.

He further mentioned that the government has introduced several reformative measures, including the start of the community mining scheme, the introduction of mercury-free mining equipment, and the alternative livelihoods

programme.