The Chronicle was alarmed when news broke recently that illegal miners had invaded the Black Volta and were seriously doing alluvial mining in the river. We were alarmed because the Black Volta is a tributary of the Volta River, which has been dammed at Akosombo to provide hydroelectric power for both domestic and industrial use.
In all, three major hydro dams have been built on the Volta River – Akosombo, Kpong and Bui – which are contributing a total of 1,604 megawatts of cheap power to our national energy mix.
Whilst Akosombo generates 1,020 megawatts, Kpong contributes 184.92 megawatts with Bui also generating 400 megawatts, mostly during peak hours. This means that the Volta River is the backbone of Ghana’s economy, and any attempt to destroy it will seriously affect the economic fortunes of this country.
Already, despite all the media publications about the negative activities of illegal miners, Rivers Offin, Ankobra and Pra have been destroyed. Because of the high turbidity levels, aquatic lives are virtually non-existent.
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), which depends on these rivers as its source of raw water for treatment and supply to towns and villages in the Ashanti and Western regions have, on several occasions, complained bitterly about the quality of water in the rivers.
The company has to spend huge sums of money to treat the water from these rivers for supply to the beneficiary towns and cities. This is one of the factors that are contributing to the high water tariffs being charged by the GWCL.
It is, therefore, disheartening that with all these problems the illegal miners have brought to bear on the country, they have now turned their attention to the Volta River and want to destroy it.
This, certainly, should not be allowed to happen. The Chronicle is, therefore, happy with the pronouncement by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Jinapor, that the government, through his outfit, would use all possible means to stop the pollution of the Volta River.
According to the Minister, following recent media reports of illegal mining activities on the Black Volta, the government, through the collaborative efforts of the Minerals Commission, the Savannah Regional Coordinating Council, and the Ghana Armed Forces has embarked on an intelligence-gathering operation to ascertain the situation on the ground.
Providing details of the said operations, whilst speaking to the media in Accra, the Minister disclosed that 20 Changfans, which were operating on the Black Volta, had been confiscated and destroyed.
He stated that resources and personnel would be committed to ensuring the Black Volta returns to its naturally healthy state sooner than later.
Describing the emergence of illegal mining activities as ‘scandalous and unfortunate’, Samuel A. Jinapor vowed that the government, through the Ministry and allied institutions, would activate the necessary and legal measures to protect the Black Volta and other water bodies from illegal mining activities.
Certainly, these are soothing words and The Chronicle hopes that Minister Jinapor will honour his pledge to flush out all the illegal miners operating on the Black Volta.
The Chronicle advises him to personally follow up and ensure the successful prosecution of any illegal miner or miners arrested on the river. This will serve as a deterrent to others, who may also be planning to join the destructive brigade.
