Freelance journalist, Edem Srem, has expressed grave concerns over the devastating impact of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, in Ghana.
He identified four regions including Western, Ashanti, Eastern, and Western North regions as the most severely affected by this illicit activity.
According to Srem, the Western Region tops the list with the highest incidents of galamsey, adding that the Ashanti Region follows closely as the second worst affected, with the Eastern Region ranking third in terms of galamsey‘s destructive impact.
During an interview on Channel One TV‘s The Point of View, Edem Srem explained, “For me, if I’m ranking the regions in terms of illegal mining or galamsey, Western Region comes on top, followed by Ashanti Region, Eastern Region and then Western North.
“We have pockets of places in the Ahafo areas, and then the Bono region and the Bono East regions, those are not too massive.”
The Freelance Journalist shed light on the devastating effects of galamsey, particularly in areas notorious for this activity.
According to him, Ayamfuri and Bogoso top the list for the worst destruction of water bodies and forests, with miners operating day and night, even encroaching into towns.
He said other areas plagued by indiscriminate mining include Dadieso, Akonsia, Wassa Akropong amongst others.
“I will not even limit it to the Western Region, the whole of Ghana, now the place that has become more notorious for indiscriminate mining as I want to put it is between Ayamfuri and Bogoso.
“On that stretch, you will see that it is happening day and night, that is where the mining activity is causing a lot of havoc to the land and the forest and they are even digging in towns, they are mining in towns.
“So you can imagine what will happen to people in those places that have nothing to do with the mining. So you have towns like Dadieso, Akonsia, Jaman, Gyapa, Wassa Akropong, Ayamfuri, Diaso, all those areas there’s massive mining happening,” he told host Bernard Avle.
