The Lands and Natural Resources Ministry is excited at the immediate gains made from government’s ban on mining in forest reserves and water bodies.

The majority of miners in the Ashanti and Western North Regions have removed their equipment from the reserves, as per the directives that took effect less than a week ago.

Until the ban, the Odaw Forest Reserve, Subin Shelter Belt, Tano-Offin, among others in the Ashanti region were home to illegal mining activities.

Water bodies such as Subin, Offin and Pra have had their share of the devastation.  

The Afao Hills and Anhwiaso East reserves in the Western North region also had their share, as earth-moving equipment struck deep in the belly of the earth.

The Akaasu and Subin streams are all destroyed by heavily-armed and powerfully-connected illegal miners who battle forestry officials.

Several hectares of virgin forest with economic viable species are destroyed.

"Look at the level of destruction. See the number of forest trees that they have destroyed. Very good economic trees, they destroyed them all."

"They have destroyed most of the cocoa farms if you look up there, you will see what they left behind," Deputy Minister-designate for Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio lamented upon seeing the destruction in the Subin Belt Shelter.

"It is shocking the devastation that has occurred here in this particular forest reserve. There has been no application for prospecting or recognisance or whatsoever. So what you see here is total blatant illegality," he disclosed.

With the ban on mining in forest reserves, many of the havoc-wrecking equipment have been evacuated from the reserves.

Excavators have been evacuated from the Odaw, Subin Shelter, Bosomtwe, Anhwiaso East, Tano-Offin and Afao Hills Reserves in Ashanti and Western North regions.

Though few recalcitrant miners remain on site, Benito Owusu Bio is happy with the rate of compliance.

"Since we commenced this inspection exercise, we have seen those taking their equipment out of the forest," he said.

President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II shared similar sentiments.

"On my way from Kumasi, I saw several excavators on the  Nyinahin-Bibiani stretch being pulled out of forest reserves.

"The ban is already yielding positive results. You should intensify the fight because you have our support," He said.

The Forestry Commission has had it tough warding off illegal miners from the forest reserves.

Its Chief Executive, John Allotey, says it is too early to celebrate.

"It's too early to say that but we've seen some movement outside the forests. This is not the first time directives have been given; this is not the first time may be military have moved in. This is not the first time we've seen equipment being moved out.

But the most important thing is to be able to sustain the exercise so that we are assured no equipment is moved back into the forest."

Mr. Allotey expressed concern that the evacuated excavators sit at the fringes of the forest reserves.

As a first step, he wants District Forest Managers to be on high alert over attempts by recalcitrant miners to re-enter the forests.

"Most of the equipment have been moved from the forest reserves but they are just a few meters away. Chances are that they could move-in in the evening and work. They are too close for comfort," he said.

"What we are going to do is to present a report to the sector Minister for onward submission to the national security apparatus for enforcement," he added.