The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey has issued a stark warning, urging President John Mahama to declare a state of emergency over the nation’s water bodies as illegal mining, or galamsey, continues to jeopardise water security and pose a serious threat to national stability.
The call comes in the wake of alarming reports from the Ghana Water Company Limited, which revealed turbidity levels at the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant had surged to 14,000 NTUs—far exceeding the World Health Organisation’s safe threshold of 5 NTUs for water processing. The extreme pollution highlights the environmental toll of galamsey and the looming risk of a water crisis across the country.
Beyond environmental degradation, the Coalition has warned that the unchecked activities of illegal miners are undermining national cohesion. Recent deadly incidents in Ntrotroso and Obuasi have reignited fears of escalating tensions in mining-affected communities.
In a statement signed by the Convenor of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, Kenneth Ashigbey, the Coalition called for immediate actions, including deploying military forces to protect water bodies, halting mining activities near river buffers, and revoking permits for operations in biodiversity-protected areas.
They emphasised that failure to act decisively would not only worsen the environmental crisis but also destabilise affected regions.
As the government grapples with the complex challenges of illegal mining, the Coalition’s demand for a state of emergency underscores the urgency of safeguarding water resources and ensuring national unity in the face of this growing menace.
Full statement here:
