At least 2,000 Ghanaian youth are to receive training necessary to enable them to protect the country’s water bodies, particularly rivers, and ensure the restoration of their quality, which has been jeopardised by illegal mining activities.
Dubbed the Blue Water River Guard, the initiative launched by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources as a module under its Blue Water Initiative and will see the government equip the youth with the skills and knowledge necessary for adequate and timely protection of the country’s rivers.
The “Blue Water Initiative”, going to be rolled out through collaborations with various stakeholders, including the Ghana Water Company and the Water Resources Commission, seeks to rejuvenate the country’s water bodies that have suffered from the detritus of unauthorised mining, by cleaning and preserving them, ensuring they remain a vital, clean, and accessible resource for all communities.
The first phase of the project will involve 400 young Ghanaian men and women who would undergo rigorous training in swimming and other skills provided by the Ghana Navy Riverine Command to make them able to deal with illegal mining operations in river bodies.
President John Dramani Mahama, in a speech read on his behalf by the sector Minister, Armah-Kofi Buah, at the launch at Ezinlibo, in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region, underscored the importance of the River Guard initiative in the fight against illegal mining.
Shedding light on the significance of the initiative, President Mahama urged the beneficiaries to recognise that the protection of the country’s river bodies was being entrusted to them and that they could not afford to be complacent or irresponsible in the delivery of their duties.
He noted that the cruciality of the country’s rivers could not be quantified and so, any action necessary for their protection against illegal mining activities would be pursued by the government to ensure that depleted water bodies recover their natural state while unaffected ones are safeguarded.
“Our rivers are more than just bodies of water; they are the lifelines of our communities. They provide drinking water, support agriculture, sustain fisheries, drive tourism, and facilitate transportation. Yet, the selfish actions of illegal miners are robbing us of these vital resources. The Blue Water Initiative is our response, a comprehensive strategy to safeguard our water bodies and promote sustainable practices,” the President stated.
For his part, the Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, stated that with the region’s reputation as the hub of Ghana’s extractive industry, it was only right and imperative that the Blue Water Guard initiative was started from there.
He, thus, commended the Lands Ministry for prioritising the region in the implementation of the policy. He lamented how illegal mining activities had undermined safe water delivery in the region and vowed to work with the Lands Ministry to nip it in the bud.
The Western Region holds one of the three water systems in the country and has the highest concentration of water polluted by illegal small-scale mining activities.
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has had to shut down its Bonsa Water Treatment site in Tarkwa due to heavy pollution of the water bodies due to illegal mining activities.
This plant, which produces 75 per cent of potable water for Tarkwa and the surrounding communities, was forced to shut down operations after efforts to treat the heavily-polluted water were practically impossible.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI-BOYE, EZINLIBO
