Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Professor Nana Ama Blowne Klutse, has hinted at the agency’s plans to effectively engage traditional leaders and the youth in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
In an exclusive interview on Channel One Newsroom on Tuesday, April 1, she reiterated the EPA’s ongoing collaborative efforts with sector ministries and state agencies to halt illegal mining and reclaim destroyed lands and water bodies.
Prof Klutse underscored that bringing the local communities on board will limit the impact of the menace as they can deny illegal miners access to the lands and water bodies.
She disclosed that the agency has commenced community engagements with the aim of including chiefs and the youth in the fight.
“In fact we have started engaging the communities. We believe from the EPA that these illegal activities are happening in communities, and it is the communities that are allowing access. People may have permits, but if the community say they will not allow them to come into mine, they cannot mine. The lands also belong to the chiefs.
“They can say you can have all the permits you want, but because this land is in the forest or this land is next to a river or in a river body, we will not allow you to mine. So we want them to be part of the fight,” she said.
