A refuse dump along the bank of the Densu River
Some unprincipled residents along the Densu River at Weija have started dumping refuse on the banks of the water body.
The Densu River, one of the resourceful river bodies in Ghana, flows through three regions and provides water to more than two million people.
The recalcitrant residents, in most cases, have put up makeshift structures along the banks of the river.
Owing to the gravity of the threatening human activities along the Densu River, Friends of Rivers and Water Bodies (FRWB), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has reiterated its call on government and traditional authorities at Weija, including the Ga West Municipal Assembly, to intensify efforts to protect the Densu River.
FRWB also fears such attitude could lead to an epidemic and affect the health of residents since the raining season is almost about to start.
Besides the use of the banks of the Densu River as a refuse dump, sand winning and stone quarry activities take place in the areas.
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has also expressed worry about the ongoing pollution of the Densu River.
However, it said only government and the Ministry of Water, Resources and Sanitation could intervene to stop the pollution of the Densu River.
Government recently embarked on a major clamp down on illegal mining activities (galamsey) to prevent the destruction of water bodies.
The Densu River Basin has an area of 2,490 km2 and spans 11 Local Assemblies in three regions (i.e. Central Region, Eastern Region and the Greater Accra Region).
There are about 200 settlements in the basin, and the total population is over 600,000, equivalent to 240 persons per km2.
The figure is far higher than the national average of about 100 persons per kilometers square.
The river takes its source from the Atewa Range, near Kibi and flows for 116 kilometres into the Weija Reservoir before entering the Atlantic Ocean through the Densu Delta at Ramsar Site.
By Samuel Boadi