Residents of communities along the Tano River in the Bono Region and its environs have been cautioned to stay clear of the Tano river due to the spillage of a substance supposed to be cyanide in the river.
The MCE for Techiman Municipality, John Kofi Donyina said this in an interview with GBC’s Radio Ghana on phone after a Daf Articulated truck carrying chemicals crashed into the Tano near Tanoso on the Techiman Kumasi highway with some of the chemicals spilling into the river killing several fishes.
The Daf Articulator truck with the registration number 11kj9312 loaded with chemicals supposedly to be cyanide was involved in an accident on Monday (January 13, 2020) morning at Tanoso near Techiman in the Bono East Region where the Tano river passes and stretches to other communities in the Bono and Ahafo regions.
The Tano river serves as a source of drinking water for a big chunk of the Bono region.
In an interview with GBC’s Radio Ghana on phone, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Techiman, John Kofi Donyina said, they have informed the Ghana Water Company which operates Abesim Headworks on the Tano in the Sunyani municipality about the issue.
Mr. Donyinah visited the accident scene, accompanied by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Techiman South, Henry Boakyi Yaidom and the Deputy Minister for Regional Re-organization and Development, Martin Agyei Mensah Korsah.
The MCE strongly cautioned communities along the Tano river from Techiman – Tanoso to Chira, Duayaw Nkwanta, Bechem and other communities not to drink the Tano river water effective yesterday till further notice.
He also pleaded with farmers whose farms are along the river not to use it to water their produce until further notice.
Meanwhile the driver of the Articulated truck who is a Burkinabe is receiving treatment at the Tanoso health center.
Cyanide is highly toxic and can result in substantial environmental impacts and public health risks when released into the environment.
