National Security has ordered an immediate stop to indiscriminate sand winning around the Kpone Water Treatment Plant. It has subsequently blocked all access routes used by tipper trucks to cart sand from the site. It follows reports about heavy pollution at the intake point of the facility increasing the cost of production. Director of Operations at the national security, Major Ignatius Awuni, who led a taskforce to assess the situation, told Joy News force will be applied if those involved do not stop voluntarily. “The situation has significantly increased the plant’s operational cost as it has to procure more chemicals for water treatment that it is normally the case. Also the situation delays the water supply to the public as a result of the long treatment period,” he said. Major Ignatius Awuni said management of the plant lamented that if nothing is done to stop the sand winning, “it may be forced to close down the plant to protect it and a new plant that is under construction by the Chinese.”