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'Frantic efforts' to stop Eastern Region 'menace' of galamsey

An environmental expert wants to urge collective responsibility for the environment and to encourage regeneration of mined areas.

 

Legal and illegal mining in the Eastern Region is destroying the environment as people are not taking responsibility to regenerate land, an environmental expert says.

Managing Director at Grenotek Energy and Environmental Services Desmond Amankwah is outspoken on the practice of galamsey in Kyebi and last month filmed what he called illegal mining in the area.

His company promotes renewable energy products and environmental remediation services in Ghana.

Amankwah visited Afiasa and Apapam in the Kyebi area in the Eastern region of Ghana, where he witnessed “the destructions and menace of illegal mining activities”.

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He told Pulse.com.gh he has grave concerns about mining’s impact on the environment.

He had been to the area before and written about his finding, but was “amazed” to see that his previous story did not inspire any change, he witnessed locals excavating land, destroying forests and cocoa farms in search of gold dust.

He had previously spoken to leaders and chiefs in the area about his concerns and was disappointed to see nothing had been done.

“They are the main people who are supposed to stop these things,” he said.

Instead, he said there was an increase in the mining and the degradation of the environment.

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He said even those who had permits were not doing enough to regenerate the land once they close the mines.

He wanted to see the Minerals Commission, the body responsible for issuing permits for mining, do more to combat illegal mining and ensure environmental protection.

Amankwah said the permits the Commission issued also took into account what would happen to the land once mining is completed, but he did not see people upholding the requirments.

“The problem is most people are not concerned about what they will do to bring back the environment before they start mining. They don't do any environmental impact assessments into the place they are going to mine. That is the problem we have now.”

People need to restore  the land by filling in pits and planting, he said.

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“Once they have got the money out of it they are done.”

He said it was locals doing the mining, but they were generally sponsored by foreigners.

He had interviewed people who were willing to destroy cocoa farms in the hopes that they are sitting on gold, but without proper analysis of the area, the efforts could be futile and destroy the farms for no gain.

A further concern was that they would not replant the farms afterwards.

Amankwah wanted to urge collective responsibility for the environment “because our natural resources is all we have”.

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He said gold and minerals need to be mined to support the economy but should be done in an environmentally-friendly way.

“Is such illegal mining profitable when you consider the damage to the environment?” he asked.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Region Police deputy spokesperson sergeant Gideon Boateng told Pulse.com.gh the police in the region are on orders to crack down on illegal mining.

“Frantic efforts are underway to stop those who don’t have documents to operate,” Boateng said.

Boateng said that a month ago the police arrested people in the region where “illegal mining is ongoing,” and the case was currently before the courts.

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“The effort is being made to arrest others who do not have permits to permit or give them the mandate to operate,” he added.

Boateng said some of those arrested turned out to have permits, while “a number” had been charged with illegal mining, operating without licences and or encroachment.

“In no time illegal mining will go down, we know it can not get out of hand of the police. We will do all we can to ensure illegal mining goes down.”

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