For some time now, instances of galamsey operations leading to the loss of lives have become common. Unfortunately, this deadly trend does not deter people.It is said that galamsey operators believe the superstition that anytime lives are lost in the mines, they are able to secure more minerals, for which reason when the accidents occur, the operators are rather spurred on to engage in their illegal activities.Last Friday, it was reported that a mining pit caved in at Subrisu, near Tepa in the Ashanti Region, trapping five illegal miners to death. It was also reported that rescuers worked for about one hour to bring out the trapped illegal miners but only three out of the eight miners who had been trapped survived.The government, worried about this trend, has tried, time again, to wean galamsey operators off their dangerous trade by introducing alternative livelihood schemes in all mining communities. Those schemes have made some strides but they still face some challenges, as the operators find their illegal activities more lucrative than, say, farming.On other occasions, galamsey operators have clashed with companies that own the concessions. In a few instances, the confrontation between security officials of the mining companies and the galamsey operators had nearly breached the peace.There have been calls on the government to ban galamsey activities. The operations of these illegal miners appear so ‘gargantuan’ that the government has thought it wise to give concessions to the operators. Unfortunately, however, they have moved away from their concessions to encroach on those of the mining companies.Generally, Ghanaians are not very happy with returns from mining operations, compelling some social commentators to advocate that our mineral resources be left in the belly of the earth. That position may be too extreme, but looking at the harm that mining companies have caused this nation, they may not be far from right.Perhaps it was this widespread damage caused to the environment by mining companies and illegal mining operations that agitated the mind of the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Ken Ashigbey, to call for an all-out national war against illegal mining (galamsey).“We cannot sit back and take this for granted. We need to get the country to appreciate the dangers of galamsey and tackle it as a national war,” he said.We cannot agree the more with Mr Ken Ashigbey that galamsey operations and, indeed, mining generally had degraded our environment. The spectacle in Akwatia, Obuasi, Tarkwa and Prestea always depicts mining as a dangerous operation that has destroyed the avenues that provide the basic needs of our people in these communities.The Daily Graphic concedes that in this era of unemployment, a large number of our youth are engaged in galamsey operations, for which reason an outright ban without an alternative livelihood can be counter-productive.We, therefore, urge the government to strengthen the alternative livelihood schemes in mining communities and assist galamsey operators to acquire concessions, so that their activities can be monitored and streamlined.After that exercise, those who would still want to continue with galamsey operations must be prosecuted for doing so, so that we can ensure sustainable development that will take care of the needs of future generations.