The Water Resources Commission (WRC) has proposed the introduction of permanent security to guard some of the country’s water bodies to help curb their pollution by illegal miners.
This follows the impending closure of the Barekese dam, the Kyebi Treatment plant and the Daboase water treatment plant due to the activities of illegal miners.
[contextly_sidebar id=”TEBPXqdhYufvXF4YuXtOCuyIh5xJKxPb”]Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, the Executive Secretary at the WRC, Ben Amponsah, said “with respect to illegal mining, it is now treated as a national security issue and it is the National Security that is given information and they actually undertake the exercises where appropriate.”
“The next strategy that we are trying to adopt is to look at water resources, in term of reservoirs… that is where we think it is best to introduce permanent security,” Mr. Amponsah added.
The Commission has however admitted that, it will be difficult to provide security for flowing water bodies given the limited control as compared to reservoirs.
Mr. Amponsah explained that, “For rivers that are flowing, it is difficult to put in permanent security because it is flowing and it is quite difficult to put police there for a river that flows for 80 to 90 kilometers, but where you have a defined reservoir, it is easy to put in permanent security.”
As far is the security interventions are concerned, the WRC has “started with Weija and from August 2016, there has been permanent security at Weija including police and soldiers,” he noted, adding that these measures at Weija have led to a reduction in the levels of encroachment.”
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana