Ghana’s only natural lake, Lake Bosomtwe, which serves as a recreational and a major tourist destination, is under threat of extinction and depletion from illegal mining activities and pollution.
Lake Bosomtwe, located 30 km South East of Kumasi, Ashante region, is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, to conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable use of resources.
However, reports reaching The Chronicle from the Bosomtwe enclave indicate that illegal mining activities have hit Beposo, Amakom and Konkoma communities, where miners have degraded the land and left the area without reclaiming the mined areas, thus setting death traps for local folks.
The Chronicle has learnt the Bosomtwe District Assembly Assembly Taskforce has seized a mining equipment (being kept at Beposo Primary school) belonging to a miner, mentioned simply as Rasta, until mined areas are reclaimed.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Bosomtwe, Ing. Abdulla Hamidu, has confirmed to the paper that the Regional Security Taskforce embarked on an operation in the area a fortnight ago to ascertain the extent of damage done to the environment, including school premises for the necessary action to be taken.
Illegal mining activities have added to existing challenges of environmental degradation, deforestation and erosion from human activities.
The lake’s water levels have been steadily declining due to a combination of climate change, reduced rainfall and human activities such as deforestation and unsustainable farming practices, resulting in declining of fish stock and decrease in fish populations, affecting livelihoods of resident.
The lake’s shorelines are receding, causing difficulties in accessing clean water by the people and putting its ecosystem at risk is affected.
This development comes to stall efforts and packages including supporting local fisher folks and planting trees along the banks as well as stocking it with catfish and tilapia to protect the Lake from extinction.
Concerned residents in the area have called for pragmatic measures to safeguard lives and livelihoods in the area.
They complained that the extraction of gold with cyanide and Mercury in the Agyaman Valley which stretches into the Bosome-Freho district run into Anum River, which joins Banku River at Tebeso, before joining the Lake which has no outlet.
Communities like Yaase, Adwafo and Gyapaadu are likely to be victims of contaminated water.
There are complaints that the colour of the water in the Lake is changed to green and that fish stock has reduced lately from contamination of chemicals that wash into the Lake from mining activities uphill.
The residents are pointing accusing fingers at politicians with the connivance of some chiefs of perpetrating the nuisance and called on the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology and Innovation to run a test to ascertain the quality of the water in the Lake as soon as practicable to protect the Lake as a national asset.
They suggested that measures must be put in place to ensure that garbage are not thrown into the water bodies, felling of trees along the buffer zone and building in water ways are stopped.
At Abono, the gateway of the cluster of 22 communities dotted around the Lake, the concerned residents appealed to the government to provide a reliable lake transport and improved road network to facilitate movement of people and farm produce to urban centres to market their goods to improve their livelihoods.
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