The fight against illegal mining is putting Ghana’s water supply under renewed pressure, with the Kyebi water treatment plant reportedly shut down due to extremely turbid raw water.

Convener of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, Dr Ken Ashigbey, disclosed this on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, describing the situation as evidence of the worsening impact of galamsey on the country’s water bodies.

“But we can tell you that if you go to Kyebi currently, the water treatment plant is shut. It is because the turbidity of water you can’t operate it because what will go into it will be sludge.”

His comments come amid growing concern over the destruction of rivers and forests caused by illegal mining, despite renewed efforts by the government and civil society to tackle the crisis.

Dr Ashigbey questioned why illegal mining continues openly in areas where state institutions are expected to enforce the law.

“So how dare all of us that you have in a year, a police station overlooking a river where galamsey is taking place, and we allow that to happen.”

He also pointed to illegal mining activities taking place along major roads and waterways, arguing that the scale of the problem can no longer be hidden.

“How dare all of us that on the road from Bonsu through Enyinem, through Osino, and hidden in clear sight, people are just doing these things with reckless abandon.”

Dr Ashigbey said the situation raises questions about whether enough has been done to honour people who have lost their lives in the fight to protect Ghana’s natural resources.

“So for me, unfortunately, including myself, I’m not too sure we’ve honoured them.”

He further criticised what he described as a failure to provide the public with regular information on the quality of water bodies.

One of the demands made by civil society to the President, he said, was for water quality results to be published monthly.

“One of the asks that we had as civil society of the President, which he told us was going to happen, is the fact that they were going to publish the water quality results on a monthly basis.”

Dr Ashigbey said the failure to provide such information leaves citizens uncertain about the state of the water they depend on.

“But now we go to a state entity that is paid with, you know, and they don’t think that we need to know that the water that we are drinking is it because those who are running it are part of the people who are importing water, and that’s what they are drinking.”

He also questioned the continued presence of illegal miners despite repeated commitments to intensify the fight against galamsey.

“And let me give you another example in what you just said. One of the ask that we had as civil society of the President, which he told us that was going to be happening, is the fact that they were going to publish the water quality result on a monthly basis.”

Dr Ashigbey said the situation requires urgent intervention from all institutions with the power to act.

“We will do what we have to do humanly possible, but we need the intervention, including everybody who has to take a decision.”

He warned that the destruction of water bodies is undermining efforts to secure safe water for communities and said the country must confront the consequences of allowing illegal mining to continue.

“We have unfortunately not honoured these people who have died in the quest of saying that they are going to save all of us our lives. We have not honoured them.”