Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah
The Western Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) is determined to win the fight against illegal mining activities, popularly called ‘galamsey’.
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, who gave the assurance, said the regional administration would soon embark on an initiative to clean the water bodies in the region through the technology developed by the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in Tarkwa.
UMaT has invented a technology to purify polluted water bodies by making it possible to take out all pollutants, including particles from the water bodies.
The Regional Minister told DAILY GUIDE in an exclusive interview at Sekondi that the work in clearing pollutants from water bodies had seen some progress, and stated that the River Ankobra was taking shape.
Mr. Darko-Mensah indicated that the RCC was currently monitoring activities in the river bodies together with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDCEs).
“The traditional leaders in the communities have not been left out in the fight. We are working with them and I believe this time round we will win the fight against the menace,” he noted.
He said his outfit had purchased ten wooden boats meant for distribution to some communities along the river as part of the monitoring exercise.
“We are also building lots of synergies along the river bodies through the various district assemblies and other regions since the clamp down on illegal mining was decentralised by the President,” he stated.
The minister said the MMDCEs had been tasked to intensify public education on the need to protect the forest reserves and water bodies in line with the government’s directive preventing illegal mining activities.
Mr. Darko-Mensah also said the Minerals Commission was in the process of coming out with new guidelines on how the District Mining Committees would handle mining issues.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi