Illegal small-scale mining, popularly referred to as galamsey is having a cataclysmic effect in Ghana as the country’s water bodies have been heavily polluted with toxic substances like mercury and cyanide.
Major rivers like Ankobra, Oti, Offin, and Birim have been gloomily contaminated with the Pra River, one of the largest in the country and a main source of drinking water for many local communities, seriously affected beyond tolerable levels.
An aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has revealed the devastating impact of galamsey on the country’s water sources.
According to Mr Dennis Miracles Aboagye, the crisis has become so severe that in some regions, Ghanaians are being forced to drink polluted water because they have no access to clean, potable water.
In a worrying occurrence, research has linked drinking of galamsey-polluted water to chronic diseases such as kidney failures, birth defects, and cancers.
Alarmingly, these health issues are said to be particularly prevalent in the country’s mining communities.
During a recent visit with media personnel to Agona Kwanyako in the Agona East District, Mr Dennis Aboagye showcased evidence of high water pollution.
He explained that despite having no history of mining in their district, residents there are suffering the effects of galamsey from the faraway Eastern Region.
The situation has caused the Ayensu River, which flows through Agona East and surrounding districts in the Central Region, to become heavily polluted, leading to the shutdown of Kwanyako Waterworks by the Ghana Water Limited (GWL).
Consequently, approximately 11 districts have lost access to clean water following the shutdown of the local water treatment plant. Mr. Aboagye highlighted the plight of women who are now forced to fetch this contaminated water and boil it for hours before it is safe to drink.
Speaking to journalists at the gates of the idled Kwanyako treatment plant, the Director of Communications for Dr Bawumia’s campaign for the 2024 general election, demanded fresh strategies from the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“The NDC must show new alternatives in the fight against galamsey, not recycle old methods they once criticised. They gave six clear promises, and already one timeline has expired,” Mr Miracles Aboagye stressed.
A few minutes’ drive from the treatment plant, in Mankrong, the river cuts a brown swath through community life.
Residents said boreholes now yield discoloured water that must be boiled and treated with alum before use.
“We once drank from this river, but today we can’t even bathe in it.
“We vote for leaders who don’t think about our well-being,” a concerned resident told journalists.
Another resident who was getting ready to bathe described a daily routine of boiling and treating borehole water.
Food sellers who depend on the river for cleaning and food processing reported sharp drops in business, saying customers and vendors alike now fear contamination.
Broader impact
The Kwanyako Headworks historically supplies more than 30 districts across the region. Residents warn that without immediate relief, be it alternative water supplies or substantive action against illegal gold mining, the consequences will deepen: collapsing livelihoods, health risks, and stalled local economies.
Accordingly, Mr Miracles Aboagye has challenged the NDC government to take action, stating that the evidence of the crisis was found “right in the home of the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu.”
Government called to fulfill campaign promise
Mr Miracles Aboagye also called on the government to fulfil its campaign promises and address the worsening situation.
Drawing on data from the Water Resources Commission, the aide to former Vice President Bawumia referenced the Water Quality Index to support his claims.
He stated that in 2010, 40 out of 41 water sources were rated “fairly good,” but this began to deteriorate between 2012 and 2016, when 60-70% of sampling sites had “poor water quality.”
According to him, the quality improved from 2017 with the NPP government, which he stressed restored 14 of 25 previously destroyed water systems.
Mr Miracles Aboagye noted that the NDC’s record on water quality is clear and called on the current government to stop referencing the previous administration and focus on fixing the problem.
By Kyei Boateng
