Small-scale mining employs over one million people in Ghana but despite the immense contribution of the unregulated sector to the economy, it is affecting the environment.

There are concerns and warming that if the activities of the small-scale miners are seriously checked the country will have to import water. 

This is because their activities have polluted most of the countries river bodies. 

Its been a year since government imposed a nationwide ban on all forms of small-scale mining in a bid to end the environmental mess.

In the latest Hotline documentary, Joy News' Latif Iddris returns from a tour of these mining areas where he interacted with the leaders of the joint police and military team, Operation Vanguard, who are to keep small-scale miners in check. 

He reports that thousands of illegal miners, popularly called 'galamsey' have defied the ban.

Though more than a thousand young men and women have been arrested over the period of the ban, some equipment ceased or burnt, the real impact of the ban is explored in the in-depth three-part series 'The Gold Burden.'

The documentary starts showing on Monday at 8:30 pm on the JOYNEWS channel on MultiTV and will also air on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM on Thursday.

Watch the preview;