Thursday , March 28 2024

PHOTOS: #restoringGH; THE UGLY SIDE OF GALAMSEY, A JOURNEY TO THE WEST, A DOCUMENTARY BY PINK FM

Illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey is now the major contributing factor to the degradation of the Ghanaian environment and natural resources.

Gold
What has come to worsen the situation is the Chinese invasion into our countrysides for the purpose of this dreadful activity.
The act if not curtailed would make life unbearable in our country. It is on this note that Pink Fm has taken a step in helping to find a lasting solution to the menace.
In another documentary about galamsey, the team focused on the Wasa Amenfi East district in the western region.

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The Shangai City
Approaching the district capital, Wasa Akropong, the first community met was “Shanghai”, a Chinese settlement within the capital.
It is highly densed by expatriates from China who are engaged in the galamsey activities.
There’s a hospital established for the chinese by themselves, a market, fuel stations and supermarkets.
Speaking to some of the shop owners, they stated that if their colleagues are made to stop the illegal mining they would still stay since Ghanians also patronize their products. But their colleagues who are engaged in the mining activities seemed to be worried.

Wasa Shanghai
Destroyed Vegetation Cover
In their quest to find the precious minerals without any extra cost afterwards, the miners refuses to cover up the dug out pits after their activities. This has led to the destruction of the vegetation cover which has the tendency of causing desertification.

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Water Bodies

The once clean water bodies that were drinkable have now been heavily polluted by the miners. All of its aquatic creatures are now dead.

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Mining Within the Capital
The galamseyers without any fear have now taken their activities to the doorsteps of residents of Wasa Akropong thus the mining activity is now carried out within the the township. This has caused fear since there’s a likehood of children falling in the dug out pits. Few meters away from the Assembly’s office the team could witness these illegal miners busily scavenging for gold.
A telecommunication pole is likely to fall since these miners have dug under it.

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Conflicts
Conflicts have been erupting between some residents and the illegal miners. A similar incidence of such was when residents of Saaman a community within the Wasa Amenfi East district collided with galamsey operators for mining under the bridge that serves as a link to the capital. A very hot argument which lasted for about an hour ensued between the residents of Saaman and the galamsey operators.

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Robbery
According to residents and some security officers who spoke on conditions of anonymity, there are rampant cases of robbery within the district due to the boost in the illegal mining activities.
Residents have been suffering at the hands of these robbers who carry out their operations with deadly weapons.
However, the team got frightened when some of the illegal miners threatened to venture into armed robbery after they are been made to stop their activities which is dreadful to mankind.
“I have a gun, if we stop galamsey I will just pick up my gun and start robbery” an illegal miner known populary as ‘NNipa yera a yemmo dua’ to wit “when man gets missing we don’t curse” told the team.

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Excavators

However, after the three-week ultimatum by the Honorable Minister a large number of excavators were found gathered in various parts of the town. The team gathered that the machines belonged to the miners and they have brought them home from the mining sites due to the minister’s warning.

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By: Akwasi Addo & Kwabena Darkwa/ Pinknews, email: [email protected]

 

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