The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is set to commence a pilot clean-up operation on the Birim River at Adiukrom in the Asiakwa area on Tuesday, February 24.

The initiative forms part of broader national measures aimed at addressing river pollution linked to illegal mining activities.

According to the Authority, the exercise will demonstrate practical, science-driven approaches to rehabilitating degraded water bodies while strengthening sustainable water resource management.

Several key institutions are partnering in the project, including the Ghana Water Company Limited, the Water Resources Commission, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research through its Water Research Institute, the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, the Ghana Standards Authority, as well as SciencePlus and Eillish Solutions.

The Birim River has suffered significant degradation in recent years due to unauthorised mining, which has affected water quality, disrupted aquatic ecosystems and limited access to potable water for surrounding communities.

Through the pilot intervention, the EPA says it intends not only to improve conditions along the affected stretch of the river but also to showcase a coordinated model that can be replicated in other polluted waterways across the country.