Convener of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, has expressed disappointment over the national response to the illegal mining [galamsey] crisis.
According to him, the response does not reflect the urgency the situation demands.
In an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Thursday, September 5, he criticised Parliament for not acting decisively, especially given the severe impact of illegal mining on water production.
“So our response to this crisis has not shown that we are people in crisis. You have a situation where the Sekyereheman water source for Ghana Water Company is now recording 14,000 MCU where they are now producing at 25 capacity, you would have expected Parliament to say that this is a major crisis,” he stated.
His comment comes after the Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) warned of an impending water crisis in Ghana if urgent action isn’t taken to address inefficiencies in water treatment.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, he expressed concern over the high levels of water loss during treatment, which currently ranges between 35% and 50%, far exceeding the ideal limit of 5% noting that this situation poses a serious risk to public health.
Dr Ashigbey urged Parliament to recommend that President Akufo-Addo declare a state of emergency over the water bodies and buffer zones affected by illegal mining.
He believes this would signal a crisis-level response necessary to combat the menace and protect vital water resources.
He further called for the arrest and prosecution of individuals found operating within the buffer zones.
The Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining plans to mobilise civil society organizations (CSOs), trade unions, and religious bodies in a concerted effort to safeguard water bodies.
Dr Ashigbey also proposed that all presidential candidates agree to be nonpartisan in addressing this critical issue, preventing political divisions from hindering meaningful solutions.
“We believe that there should be a crisis response to this particular fight to save our water bodies. We will propose that the President declares a state of emergency over the water bodies and buffer zones,” he said.
Source: Myjoyonline
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