The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in the Central Region has joined calls to put pressure on the government to stop small-scale mining in the country.

According to the company's Public Relations Officer, Nana Yaw Barima Barnie, the company is struggling to purify water due to the high turbidity levels, which exceed the system's original capacity.

Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile, he stressed the need to halt these activities before the company is forced to resort to stronger purifiers to make the water safe for consumption.

When asked whether he supports calls by the Ghana Medical Association for the President to issue an absolute ban to end galamsey he said  “I very much agree with them. In fact the aim of Ghana Water Company in bringing out this statement is that attention should be drawn to it so that the galamsey on river bodies, Ghana Water Company want to see galamsey stopped entirely," he said on September 7.

His comments follow the Ghana Medical Association's demand for President Akufo-Addo to impose a direct and immediate ban on all forms of small-scale mining.

• Read also: Impose ban on small-scale mining in Ghana – Health workers to Akufo-Addo

In a joint statement, the group, consisting of doctors, nurses, environmental health officers, and other allied health workers, highlighted the alarming rise in respiratory and waterborne diseases in mining communities.

The health workers warned that continued mining without stringent regulations poses a severe threat to the health and well-being of Ghanaians, especially those in rural areas.

Also, Mr. Barnie, recounting his childhood in a village in the Ashanti Region, said that when they visited the farms, there was no need to carry water from home because they could drink directly from the river, as it was clean and uncontaminated.

Building on this, he stated that an absolute ban on illegal mining is the right step to ensure that no one enters the rivers to mine.

The P.R.O. explained that when the water is left undisturbed for a period, the river naturally rejuvenates and returns to its clear, colorless state.

 “So we must get to a point where River Pra, the water in river Pra will become colourless and we can stand at the bank of this river and we can see the fishes swimming in the river. That is what we are all waiting for,” he added.