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“Galamsey”, threatening development in East Akim Municipality
Kukurantumi (E/R), Oct. 9, GNA - Mr Simon Peter
Asirifi, East Akim Municipal Chief Executive, has warned that
illegal mining, popularly known as “galamsey”, was threatening
the environment and the lives of human beings and animals in the
area.
He also expressed worry that that some children, who abandoned
school, had joined the illegal activity, posing a threat to the
country’s human resource development.
Mr Asirifi was speaking at the launch of this year’s World
Environment Day that was on the theme: “Your Planet Needs You,
Unite to Combat Climate Change”, at Kukurantumi in the Eastern
Region on Thursday.
He said women, who had joined the illegal mining, were dredging
river beds and digging lands in forests in search of gold and
other minerals, exposing them to poisonous chemical used in the
transactions.
Mr Asirifi lamented that sources of drinking water were polluted
with poisonous chemicals and trenches left uncovered.
He alleged that some people in the Municipality were selling
lands to foreigners for “galamsey” and cautioned that the
practice could affect development in the area.
Mr Asirifi called for comprehensive policies and laws against
over-exploitation of the country’s natural resources towards
sustainable development that would benefit the future
generation.
Mr Kwasi Owusu-Sekyere, Eastern Regional Director of the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said for the last couple
of years, the theme for the celebration of the Day had been on
climatic change because it has become a serious global issue.
He appealed to teachers and school children to undertake tree
planting as their contribution to the fight against climate
change and environmental degradation.
Mr Owusu-Sekyere said the EPA in collaboration with the
Seventh-Day Adventist Church had planted 4,280 tree seedlings as
part of activities to mark the Day and gave the assurance that
the Agency would nature the trees till maturity.
Mrs Kate Agyemang-Badu, the Municipal Director of Education, has
asked school children to educate members of their communities
about the essence of tree planting and other environmental
protection measures.
GNA
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