There are no illegal mining activities taking place anywhere near the Kintampo Waterfalls as being speculated on social media.
According to the management of the waterfalls, a recent video shared on social media showing a dis-coloured water from the falls was a result of a heavy rainfall, which caused the primary water source from the Pumpum River to overflow its banks, carrying debris and sediments from a road construction into the waterfalls.
The site management of the Kintampo Waterfalls, Franklin Owusu explained that, when it continues raining in the area, it washes, it washes all the dirt into the waterfall.
He said the water becomes clean again after the rain and that if it does not rain, for a long period, you see a clean water.
Recent dirty water explanation
Franklin Owusu explained that there was a road under construction in the area and the contractor was filling the road with red soil and whenever it rains, it washes it into the waterfall and that it is that dirt from the road construction, which was recently spotted, filmed and circulated on social media, with the assumption that it was illegal mining that had dis-coloured the water..
He said there was adequate security in place to guard against illegal mining in the area.
“Almost all the pathways are rocks, so we don’t have any deep water to encourage people to come and mine in the water, it is a shallow water,” he said.
He said the 10km journey towards the falls have trees around it, and the Forestry Division patrols it constantly.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Clarification Regarding Kintampo Waterfalls and Recent Natural Events
The attention of management of Kintampo Waterfalls (KWF) has been drawn to a video and images currently circulating on social media platforms, and we wish to provide clarity to our valued customers and tourists.
The Kintampo Waterfalls is a natural wonder, relying on the uninterrupted flow of water from the Pumpum River, other streams and springs within the community to maintain its unique beauty.
Over the past weeks, the region has experienced unusually heavy rainfall, resulting in a significant increase in water Inflow to the area.
As a result, the river has exceeded its normal banks, causing an overflow. This overflow carries with it a substantial amount of sediment and debris from upstream, leading to a temporary change in color of water.
This phenomenon is not uncommon in natural systems and happens annually when heavy rainfall washes soil and sediment into the river, resulting in a brief change in water appearance. Additionally, increased water flow can disturb the natural sediment on the riverbed, which can also aflect the water’s appearance.
This was the case when two tourists visited our facility on Thursday October 5, 2023. We want to state emphatically that this has no connection whatsoever with Illegal mining activities.
We would like to reassure all prospective visitors and tourists that our facility remains in impeccable condition, and we are unwavering in our commitment to providing you with the exceptional experiences we have consistently promised.
