REPORTS indicate that activities of illegal miners along the banks of River Pra at Sekyere Heman is threatening the quality of water to be produced by the water treatment plant sited near the river.
The yet-to-be inaugurated plant, with the potential to produce 6.6 million gallons of water a year, is expected to serve communities in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem (KEEA) District and some parts of Cape Coast.
In the past, the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) had on many occasions expressed reservations about human activities near some water bodies, which tended to increase the cost of water treatment.
While some of these complaints had been linked to the pollution of water bodies as a result of basic daily chores of human settlers along those water bodies and the improper disposal of human waste, the latest pollution scare on the banks of River Pra is very alarming because of the presence of dangerous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide.
The facts about the adverse effects of cyanide or mercury poisoning are very grim. As noted by Mr Mac Doe Hyanabui, the Project Engineer of GWCL, mercury, for instance, can cause paralysis and mental retardation.
Yet, the illegal miners are bent on going about their work without any fear of the law and in justifying their illegality, they have always been citing the chorus that “man must survive”. But the question that must be asked is, should the quest for survival bring ultimate destruction?
The activities of the miners, which have become a worrying bane to our development aspirations, raise concerns about the lapses in law enforcement.
The issue of mining, both legal and illegal, has been an emotional one, and this is partly because of the environmentally harmful methods of mining and the lucrative nature of the job.
While large multi-nationals have constantly had their activities scrutinised with the critical lenses of the regulatory bodies, it appears that the illegal miners are having a field day and are going about their activities without due regard for environmental concerns or human life, including their very own lives.
Even more disturbing in this instance is the fact that the chief of the area, Nana Kwadu Kyerefo III, and some elders of the town have been implicated in the illegal business.
So far, the chief and his elders have not come clear on the issue to state their case and that can tarnish their reputation as their silence may lend credence to the allegations that have been levelled against them.
And in any event, assuming that even the chief and his elders have not sanctioned the illegal activities, isn’t it a real affront to their authority as local custodians of the land to look on while such dangerous illegality is perpetuated?
In an era where chieftaincy is being modernised in order to enable the institution to meet the development needs of the 21st Century, the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes to challenge the chief and elders of the town to recognise that they have a responsibility to promote sound environmental practices in their town.
For many Ghanaians, access to potable water continues to be a luxury when it need not be, hence any attempt to provide Ghanaians with potable water must not only be welcome but must also be closely guarded by the local people, who will be the direct beneficiaries. Elsewhere, water treatment plants are security zones that are no-go areas for unauthorised persons because pollution of the plant can be catastrophic. But in Ghana water treatment plants have no security implications.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines and the Minerals Commission to bare their teeth at the illegal miners and restore decency to our mining communities.
There is the need to bear in mind that in as much as there is the will to survive and make money to earn a living, there is a greater will to live healthy lives to be able to earn that living. That we must not compromise!
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