Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens, Awula Serwaah, has called for a broader and more coordinated approach to tackling illegal and irresponsible mining in Ghana, warning that the current environmental crisis goes beyond the scope of existing legal instruments.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Thursday, Awula Serwaah said. At the same time, the repeal of L.I. 2462, which previously granted mining leases in forest reserves, was a positive step; it alone would not address the widespread destruction of water bodies and farmlands across the country.
“The fight against irresponsible mining — the existential threat we currently face — must be fought on different fronts,” she said. “L.I. 2462 had to do with granting leases to mine in forest reserves. But a lot of what is going on now is pure irresponsible mining without any licence whatsoever.”
READ ALSO : Lands Minister lays LI 2462 in Parliament to revoke law allowing mining in forest reserves
She noted that many miners either operate illegally or exceed the boundaries of their licences, resulting in massive environmental damage. According to her, this has led to the poisoning of more than 60 per cent of Ghana’s water bodies and the rapid destruction of forest reserves.
Citing a recent example, Serwaah said activists in the Adjonsu community have reported illegal mining activities threatening farmlands and the community’s only source of drinking water.
“Two excavators have found their way onto the landscape. They’ve tried unsuccessfully to reach NAIMOS to get them removed. The Adjonsu stream is their only source of drinking water — and poisoning water, even in wartime, is a war crime,” she said.
She added that the affected residents have struggled to get help from both the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and the police, leaving them vulnerable to environmental harm.
Awula Serwaah stressed that while the repeal of L.I. 2462 was necessary, communities like Adjonsu — which are not forest reserves — remain exposed.
“They will not be helped by L.I. 2462, so we need to support activists who are trying to protect their landscape,” she said.
Her comments follow the revocation instrument laid before Parliament on Friday, October 31, seeking to repeal L.I. 2501 and completely revoke L.I. 2462, both of which have been criticised for enabling environmentally destructive mining in forest reserves.
The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation says the repeal forms part of a broader strategy to combat illegal mining under the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) and enforcement operations led by NAIMOS.
Environmental groups, however, insist that without strong enforcement and community-level protection, Ghana’s water bodies and ecosystems remain at serious risk.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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