The government’s resolve to end illegal mining, known as galamsey in Ghana, is yielding results, Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul has said.
The activities of the ‘Operation Halt’ taskforce have resulted in the seizure and destruction of about 28 excavators and 267 chanfans from illegal small-scale miners in the River Pra in the Eastern Region.
The Minister said 18 water pumping machines, two industrial machines, 18 generator sets, 10 plastic chairs, five canoes, one wooden accommodation, eight industrial batteries, one platform and 21 new pumping machines were part of the items seized.
Hon. Nitiwul disclosed this while addressing the media on phase two of ‘Operation Halt’ to protect Ghana’s water bodies by the military.
The activities of the galamseyers are not only destroying the river bodies but their tributaries, too.
The minister has, therefore, stressed the Ghana Armed Forces’ commitment to the fighting to ensure that illegal miners will not be able to operate from within 100 metres of river bodies and forest reserves.