Despite calls to halt all activities of illegal mining in the country, Ghana still experiences a sharp increase of illegal mining.
Some few weeks ago, the activities of Illegal mining has become more of a concern and posing threat on our lives.
Meanwhile, in 2017, government initiated “Operations calm down illegal” to help mitigate the activities of illegal mining in the country.
However, all efforts to calm down illegal mining has not yielded any positive impact.
River bodies in the country are heavily affected by these activities of illegal miners. All the water bodies which were used as a source of drinking water have been polluted making it unsafe for drinking.
The disturbance of water bodies also fosters the proliferation of waterborne diseases. Contaminated water becomes a breeding ground for pathogens, leading to the spread of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever.
In areas heavily affected by galamsey, these diseases have become endemic, straining local healthcare systems and leading to a rise in morbidity and mortality rates.
In 2023, Joynews Erastus Asare Donkor conducted a test from certain water bodies which revealed that, “there are high levels of arsenic, chromium, cadmium, and other harmful metals from illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’.”
These heavy metals can accumulate in the food chain, contaminating crops and livestock. Consuming food or water contaminated with these metals can lead to acute and chronic health issues, including organ damage, developmental disorders in children, and increased cancer risk.
These activities have also affected fishes in the water bodies making it unsafe for consumption.
This should be a greater concern to us as a country as this activity continues to persist.
Millicent Aikins, Journalism and Media Studies, Student, UEW.
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