About 20 acres of land degraded by illegal mining have been reclaimed at Nweneso No. 1 and No. 2 in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti Region, following a two-week suspension of all mining activities ordered by national security in the Ashanti Region.

The directive, issued two weeks ago after an inspection of the enclave, required all miners to halt operations and begin reclaiming degraded lands as part of efforts to restore the environment and prevent further destruction.

Some illegal miners operating at Nweneso No. 1 and No. 2 have complied with the directive by filling abandoned pits and restoring portions of the degraded land for plantation and vegetation purposes.

To assess compliance, the Atwima Kwanwoma District Security Council, together with officials from the Environmental Department and members of the media, toured several illegal mining sites in the area. The inspection revealed that significant progress has been made in reclaiming portions of the affected land.

Chairman of the District Committee Kingston Opoku Bediako, overseeing the reclamation of abandoned galamsey pits, said the committee would continue to conduct regular inspections to ensure all degraded lands are restored.

“It is the vision of the district chief executive to ensure that all abandoned galamsey pits are reclaimed to prevent future tragedies. We will not abandon this exercise after today. We will continue to monitor the sites regularly to ensure the reclamation works are sustained,” he said.

Mr. Opoku Bediako warned that anyone found engaging in illegal mining activities on restored sites would face the full rigours of the law.

The Atwima Kwanwoma District Environmental Officer, Ernest Boakye, expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far, describing the reclamation exercise as a major step toward restoring the district’s degraded environment.

According to him, the reclaimed lands will be used for tree planting and other vegetation restoration programmes to improve biodiversity and protect the ecosystem.

“This is the kind of progress we expect to see at all illegal mining sites. Reclaiming degraded lands is essential to restoring our environment. I therefore urge all illegal miners in the district to cooperate with the authorities and support the reclamation efforts,” he stated.

The reclamation exercise at Nweneso No. 1 and No. 2 is being undertaken with the support of Danmark Prime Company Limited, the firm contracted to carry out the restoration works.

The company’s Operations Manager, Robert Dambo, said about 20 acres had already been reclaimed, with plans to restore additional degraded lands before the end of the year.

“We appeal to everyone to support the government's efforts to restore our degraded lands. Land reclamation is highly capital-intensive, so continuous monitoring and adequate security are needed to prevent illegal miners from returning to destroy the reclaimed sites,” he said.

The inspection team was joined by officials from the national security apparatus in the Atwima Kwanwoma District.

The District Liaison Officer for National Security, Bernard Kofi Ampofo, commended the level of compliance by some miners, noting that the directive had yielded positive results.

“We are impressed with the level of compliance so far. But those who fail to comply with the directive should be prepared because we will come after them,” he cautioned.