WR: Water crisis hit Fantekrom as galamsey takes it toll

Residents of Fantekrom, a village in the Nzema East Municipality, are grappling with a severe water crisis as illegal mining activities continue to wreak havoc.

The community’s only water source, a once-reliable stream, has been heavily polluted, leaving residents often times go without safe drinking water for days.

A visit to the community reveals vast stretches of degraded land, with the once-fertile farmlands now scarred by mining pits.

The destruction has not spared the community’s only stream, which for years served as a dependable source of clean drinking water. Now, residents are forced to rely on an electric powered borehole an option they say is both unreliable and inadequate.

With an increasing population, the borehole’s storage capacity is limited, making it difficult for many people to receive water.

Frequent power outages, sometimes lasting for days, further cripple water supply, as the borehole depends entirely on electricity.

Frustrated residents say they are left with no choice than to journey to nearby communities to purchase sachet water for domestic use.

Joseph Amuzu Assembly member for the community voiced his pain as he recounted efforts undertaken to ensure responsible mining as hit the rocks.

According to him, he feels powerless since “all efforts to prohibit illicit mining in this community has hit rocks, have made this known at Assembly sessions; even the Omanehene has intervened, advising its sub chiefs against leasing their property out for galamsey activities, but such directions have fallen on deaf ears.”

“What is occurring here is reckless mining. They have damaged the sole stream that the town uses. They dig large pits and fail to restore it because I am afraid children may fall into such pits,” he complained.

Mr Amuzu made a passionate appeal to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to stop galamsey by sending out security troops into the community.

The post WR: Water crisis hit Fantekrom as galamsey takes it toll first appeared on 3News.

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