The Communications Manager for the Western and Central Regions, Nana Yaw Barnie says the quality of the River of Pra and Bonsa hasn’t seen any changes since the activities of illegal mining are still in force.
Mr Barnie, in an interview with Spice FM, says the fight against the galamsey menace has not seen an end in sight because rivers have not returned to their original state.
He maintains that there’s the need for authorities to intensify the galamsey fight for them to have a smooth operation.
According to him, Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) uses not less than 60 bags of alum in treating water which is a huge cost to the Company.
“The country is not there yet with the fight against galamsey. Before the ban on galamsey activities, people were already doing it on water bodies at Daboase.
Though we can’t witness the activities of the galamseyers on the river bodies, the deterioration of the river Pra and Bonsa is a confirmation that the practice is ongoing.
If their activities have indeed been banned, the rivers will be of quality by now.
As long as the turbidity of the water remains the same, it is evidence that illegal mining has not stopped, and so there is a need to intensify the fight.
Due to the polluted nature of the water, we used to treat the water with 20 bags of alum but now, we use not less than 60 bags a day, and this is very expensive in water treatment and production,” Mr Barnie touted.
Mr Barnie also appealed to customers to be diligent in paying their water bills to help the company keep up in delivering its mandate.
