(3 Minutes Read)
A coalition of civil society organizations, labor unions, media outlets, and religious leaders has intensified its pressure on the government to act decisively. They are calling for the declaration of a state of emergency in all affected areas, the deployment of security forces to clear illegal miners from water bodies, and the immediate revocation of mining licenses.
Ghana is set to undergo a nationwide lockdown on Monday, September 30, as civil servants and labor unions escalate their campaign against illegal mining. The environmental devastation caused by these unregulated operations has triggered growing demands for urgent government intervention, including a state of emergency in mining areas and the cancellation of mining licenses.
Recent reports from the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) highlight the gravity of the situation, with severe water shortages resulting from the contamination of key water sources. According to the GWCL, 60% of the country’s major water bodies have been polluted, and water treatment systems are being overwhelmed by turbidity levels, which have skyrocketed to an average of 14,000 NTU—far exceeding their capacity of 2,000 NTU.
A coalition of civil society organizations, labor unions, media outlets, and religious leaders has intensified its pressure on the government to act decisively. They are calling for the declaration of a state of emergency in all affected areas, the deployment of security forces to clear illegal miners from water bodies, and the immediate revocation of mining licenses.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/nigerias-annual-loss-to-illegal-mining-usd-9-billion-study/
Illegal mining has left a trail of destruction across the country. In addition to contaminating water bodies, it has devastated farmlands, particularly in cocoa-producing regions, and destroyed at least 34 forest reserves.
