17 January 2015

Source: citifmonline.com

Galamsey-induced water shortage hits 50 communities

Another said, “For the past year, we have been trying to stop the galamsey operators. Now the river is muddy and we cannot even use it to spray our farms”

“We don’t get any water to drink because of what has happened to Desre. We don’t have other sources of water to drink.”

Illegal mining has been a major problem for government in recent times; many of the water bodies in the country have been destroyed by the mining.

In many parts of Ghana, including the Northern Region, a number of people have either been left injured or dead in clashes between residents and illegal miners.

Chiefs in the Upper West region recently raised concerns over the rising interest and the acquisition of mining concessions in the Upper West Region.

According to the chiefs, most of these concessions were granted without the involvement and consultation of traditional authorities.

The Lands Commission in 2014 expressed concerns over the increase in illegal mining operations in Wa, the Upper West Regional capital.

The Commission said the activities of the “galamsey” miners are destroying the vegetation in the region.