The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is to set up a task force to monitor illegal mining on the country’s water bodies.

Deputy Minister in charge of Lands and Forestry, Benito Owusu-Bio, said the move is to help curb the pollution of rivers.

He says he is unhappy about the rate at which river bodies are being destroyed.

“We are making sure we will be able to address the issue of illegal mining especially on the river bodies.

Mr Owusu-Bio said the government has trained men with the necessary tools to enable them properly carry out their mandate.

“As we speak now, river guards have been trained, the government has procured speedboats and soon they are going to start operations and monitoring of the river bodies,” he disclosed on the sidelines of a joint technical meeting in Accra between the Ghana Boundary Commission and the Cote D’Ivoire Boundary Commission

The Deputy Minister noted that the previous approach of visiting the river only when there was information on mining activities did not reap the needed results and was confident the new approach was the best.

“Now these speedboats and the river guards who have been trained how to swim and who will be given the necessary equipment like swimsuit and everything will be there and when they say they are monitoring.

“They [will] monitor from where the river meets the sea and continue upstream where the river finds its source,” he said.

Mr Owusu-Bio called on the general public to support the cause of the government to bring an end to illegal mining.

“We need the full complement of all equipment;-you need drones, you need speedboats, we need trained human resources; the military, and you and I, including the media. When we come together and collaborate, we will be able to end this matter,” he added.