Illegal mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’ has sustained the media for some years now, raising concerns and discussions among people in the Ghanaian society. Beautiful water bodies including River Ankobrah, River Pra, River Birim, River Densu among others are currently bleeding due to activities of galamsey.
According to the Water Resources Commission (WRC), about 60% of Ghana’s water bodies are polluted, with many in critical condition. They further stated that, the polluted water bodies are mostly in the south-western parts of Ghana where illegal mining activities (galamsey) is widespread.
That is not all, galamsey has led to deforestation and Soil erosion where the topsoil, trees, and vegetation are removed with machines or through human labor to make the digging of pits and trenches easier.
In the deforestation process, poisonous chemicals such as arsenic, cyanide and explosives are used and this serve to render the land infertile and unproductive for agricultural purposes. When lands lose their fertility, food crops would refuse to grow, which can lead to food scarcity in the country.
Not forgetting that, deforestation is one major cause of climate change. Therefore, galamsey is a reason for the country’s climate change problem. It is obvious that the introduction of galamsey to exploit minerals (Gold) is gradually destroying Ghana to the core.
Did you know galamsey activities pose threat to our health as Ghanaians? Yes, galamsey activities pose threat to human health, hence, the more reason illegal mining should be critically looked at and avoided.
Heavy chemicals such as Mercury used by galamsey operators contaminate and pollute water bodies, which increases risk of illness in affected Communities. Various media reports have also shown that some communities can only access contaminated water and this has caused an increase in skin infections and waterborne diseases.
For instance, diarrhea cases increased from 5,000 to 10,000 in three years in the Shama District located in the Western region of Ghana where there is increased illegal mining in its six Communities. Contaminated water also leads to typhoid, cholera and other water born illnesses.
According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), one of the toxic chemicals, Mercury used by illegal miners in their activities has a dire effect on the health of humans as it could cause the breakdown of the central nervous system. Ghanaians are exposed when the drink and inhale gaseous mercury into their blood. Once the gaseous mercury gets into the circulatory system, it can pass through the blood–barrier and accumulate in the brain, damaging the central nervous system.
Most galamsey operators view mercury use to be the only means of extracting Gold. Millions of Ghanaians live along the banks of these rivers, streams, and lakes meaning that, they depend on the heavily contaminated water for their domestic needs. However, Ghanaians who also depend on pipe-borne water may be consuming small amounts of mercury, arsenic and other chemicals, which would negatively affect their health in some days to come.
The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) in December 2022 disclosed that illegal mining is a major factor in the increase of HIV/AIDS infections in the country. The commission stated that galamsey activities have propelled a lot of indiscriminate sex activities, which in the long run, increases the risk and number of HIV/AIDS cases in the country.
In most mining Communities, abandoned lands with stagnant water by galamsey operators have become convenient breeding places for mosquitoes. That is why malaria is one of the commonest diseases in mining Communities. Currently in galamsey Communities, malaria fever is rated as the number one cause of infant mortality. Infant mortality refers to the death of an infant between 1 day and 1 year.
Government go and government come, but none of them have been able to fight galamsey activities to the core. Ghana can fight this galamsey battle well when Ghanaians change their minds and make the country their number one priority. The race for quick money in this country is just horrible to the extent that people do not mind harming others for it. The government cannot fight it alone, but with the help of the people.
If galamsey is not critically addressed, Ghana would be recording high deaths in galamsey communities in the near future following the impact galamsey activities have on people’s health. Again, Ghana may be forced to import water some years to come when we keep mute and watch galamsey operators destroy all our water bodies. The time for action is now, not tomorrow.
By Rachael Agyemang Kudzonu
University Of Media, Arts And Communication – Institute Of Journalism
(rachael2003ag@gmail.com)
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
