Reclamation efforts have begun at the Mpasatia Yaw Nkwanta illegal mining site in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region, following the deaths of four miners within four months.
The latest fatalities occurred on April 1, when two individuals, Kwame Charles and another miner known as Ben, lost their lives in a similar incident.
The alarming deaths prompted the Regional National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to instruct the district office to urgently cover the open pit. During a site visit on April 10, NADMO teams were seen working to reclaim the area and restore it for agricultural purposes.
Salifu Karim, the Assembly Member for Mpasatia Ahenbronum, emphasized the community’s decision to fill the pit to prevent further fatalities. “We have all agreed to fill the pit so that no one else will go there and lose their life,” he said.
Hajj Mohammed Nasir Ibrahim, the acting Regional Director of NADMO, confirmed that part of the site had been covered, but stressed the need for further work to fully restore the land.
He also mentioned that NADMO is collaborating with local police to enforce patrols in the area to prevent illegal mining activities.
The continued loss of life due to illegal mining, or ‘galamsey’, has sparked public concern over the effectiveness of current measures to address the issue.
A 2021 analysis of mining-related accidents in Ghana revealed that small-scale mining fatalities are disproportionately high, with 622 deaths reported in 36 accidents.
Many are now calling for more decisive and efficient actions to combat the dangerous practice and protect lives.
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