The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovations, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has called for swift enforcement and decisive state action against illegal mining operations encroaching on legitimate mining concessions across the country.
Speaking during a tour of mining and reclamation sites in the Eastern Region, the Minister expressed grave concern over the extent of devastation caused by illicit miners, popularly known as galamseyers, who continue to invade legally acquired concessions.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings described the situation as deeply alarming, warning that the unrestrained use of hazardous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide by illegal operators poses an existential threat to surrounding communities. She stressed that the deliberate pollution of water bodies and land resources amounts to nothing short of chemical warfare against the populace, carrying severe long-term public health and environmental consequences.
She noted with concern that while responsible, licensed mining companies invest heavily in land reclamation, reforestation, and sustainable environmental preservation, illegal miners actively undermine these efforts by destroying protected forest reserves and critical river bodies.
Addressing journalists at one of the reclaimed sites, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings commended the positive examples of land restoration while highlighting the stark contrast between lawful operations and illegal encroachment.
“What we have here is we’ve been given a tour including the FTS and for me this is the highlight of the trip because when we talk about reclamation of land, reforestation, preservation of the environment, it needs to go beyond just words and I think what we’re seeing here is an example of the work put in,” she stated.
Pointing to a lush forest area that had been carefully nurtured over a decade, the Minister maintained that responsible mining accompanied by a clear end-use plan remains entirely achievable if regulatory enforcement is strictly maintained to halt illegal intrusions.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
