The Sanitation and Water Resources Committee of Parliament will embark on a critical one-week tour of illegal mining sites, known as “galamsey” areas, starting September 25, 2024.
The tour will cover major regions severely affected by illegal mining, including the Eastern, Western, and Ashanti regions of Ghana.
This initiative responds to the escalating environmental and water resource challenges caused by galamsey activities, which have long troubled both national and local authorities.
The Committee aims to gain firsthand insight into the extent of the damage, especially the pollution of water bodies.
Chairman John Oti Bless highlighted the urgent need for practical interventions to address the issue and criticized the government for its inaction.
“The committee has scheduled a tour to visit the various serious galamsey sites, especially on our water bodies, where the activities of the galamsey have really impacted negatively in Ashanti, Eastern and the Western regions. So on the 25th of this month, the committee is going to embark on a one-week tour of these three regions.
“It is a serious issue. Today, under Akufo-Addo’s government, they have reduced the military to nothing…why don’t they put the military in those areas?”
John Oti Bless stated further that with the devastating impact of galamsey, it has become clear that urgent and decisive measures are needed to turn the ongoing destructions in mining communities.
