PROTECT OUR WATER BODIES

THE Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) has raised concerns over the threat illegal mining poses to the wholesomeness of underground water.
The CWSA, after a tour of some districts in the Western Region, detected harmful chemicals such as mercury in underground water in some communities.
Interestingly, this time round, the culprits that have been cited are not the big multinational mining companies but small-scale miners, most of whom operate illegally and without due regard to environmental protection measures.
This, no doubt, exposes a flaw in our regulatory and monitoring policy as far as mining activities are concerned. More often than not the spotlight is thrown on the large mining companies that are subjected to severe scrutiny.
Whereas these companies have introduced some measures to make their operations more environmentally friendly, small-scale miners have been allowed to have a field day by way of applying whatever techniques in their mining activities.
In most mining communities in the country, the activities of illegal miners continue to wreak havoc on the environment and human life.
Yet, goaded on by the prejudice against the supposed exploitation of our mineral wealth by big multinational mining companies, there has been the tendency to rationalise the activities of illegal Ghanaian miners because “it is their land and they must be allowed to exploit it”.
This exploitation is sometimes perpetuated in a bizarre manner, irrespective of the impact on life and the environment and clearly such reasoning and action fly in the face of common logic.
Indeed, recent reports indicate that some foreign nationals have also found the country a fertile ground for illegal mining.
As a result of this, the government recently inaugurated a committee to identify the major illegal mining (galamsey)-prone areas in and around Obuasi, Tarkwa, Bogoso, Atosso and Assin Fosu, among other places, and to recommend mechanisms for the identification of non-Ghanaian illegal miners operating in those areas.
Understandably, high gold prices appear to have boosted the activities of the illegal miners and the need for urgent action appears very pressing now.
The challenge places an onerous responsibility on agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, which has the mandate to ensure that mining companies observe sound environmental practices.
While we throw the challenge at the EPA to intensify its monitoring and regulatory actions, the DAILY GRAPHIC also recognises the limitation of the agency to effect arrest and prosecute offenders.
However, that does not mean that the illegal miners, who are ruining the country in no small way, should be allowed to have their way. Working in concert with the security agencies, the EPA should be able to get offenders duly arrested and arraigned to answer charges.
Access to potable water continues to be a challenge in many parts of the country and there is the need to seriously address this threat, especially when there is the belief that if there is ever going to be any major conflict in the world, then it is going to be fought over water.
Indeed, it is not for nothing that it is sometime stated that ‘Water is life’.