Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens, Awula Serwah, has issued a strong warning that illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, poses an existential threat to Ghana’s survival, and called on government to act with urgency before it is too late.
Speaking in an interview on the KeyPoints with Alfred Ocansey, Serwah drew attention to the alarming health and environmental consequences of galamsey, including rising kidney disease cases, premature deaths, birth deformities, and poisoned water bodies.
She cited figures from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, which has recorded a fourfold increase in kidney disease cases, as evidence that the crisis is spiraling.
“The house is burning, and we are waiting for it to be reduced to ashes before we act. Water is life. We will not die if we don’t have gold, but we will die without water,” she said on September 13.
According to her, over 60 percent of Ghana’s water bodies have been contaminated by mining activities.
She stressed that the clarity of water does not mean safety, since heavy metals seep into the food chain and threaten long-term health.
Serwah also rejected distinctions between licensed and unlicensed miners, describing both as “environmental terrorists” when they operate in forest reserves or water bodies.
“Having a piece of paper doesn’t give you the right to mine in forest reserves or rivers. Just like having a driver’s license doesn’t allow you to drive drunk or on the pavement,” she argued.
She criticized the government’s slow pace in tackling the crisis, citing unfulfilled promises such as repealing L.I. 2462 which govern aspects of mining operations and the declassification of the Achimota Forest.
“These were low-hanging fruits that could have been addressed to signal seriousness, but nine months into this administration, they have not been done,” she lamented.
Serwah further questioned the continuous importation and use of excavators, which she claimed were being diverted into forest reserves for mining instead of construction projects.
She suggested a temporary ban on the importation of excavators and suspension of small-scale mining until enforcement structures are strengthened.
“Our problem is that we are allergic to enforcement. Without robust enforcement and compliance, community mining or cooperative mining is no different from illegal mining,” she said.
She praised the efforts of the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce against illegal mining, but insisted that much more is needed.
“We are facing environmental terrorism. What started as artisanal mining with hand tools has evolved into criminal activity with heavy machinery. The window of opportunity to deal with this cancer is closing,” she warned.
Awula Serwah concluded with a plea for urgency.
“We have been poisoned. We cannot wait for every Ghanaian to drop dead from kidney disease before we act. The sense of urgency is missing, and yet this is about our survival as a people,” she said.
Source:Lovinghananews.com
