Encroachment on quarry sites considered national emergency

The Commercial Quarry Operators Association (CoQOA) has expressed concern about the alarming scale of encroachment on quarry lands across the country.

In a statement issued by Madam Georgina Dziwornu, Executive Secretary, Commercial Quarry Operators Association, in Accra, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, highlighted areas affected by the encroachment activities including Buoho, Ablekuma, Nsawam, and Budumburam.

The statement said the areas were experiencing rising threats to public safety and national development because of the unauthorised occupation of quarry lands and buffer zones.

It said recent community agitations and negative media reports have heightened safety concerns at quarry sites.

However, it said, the real danger lied in the rapid encroachment into designated exclusion zones—with structures erected within 10 to 20 metres of active blasting sites, in blatant violation of Regulation 176 of the Minerals and Mining (Explosives) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2177).

The regulation mandates minimum of 500-metres safety buffer between blasting activities and human settlements.

It noted that the violations did not only endanger lives but have restricted the ability of the law-abiding quarry companies to operate safely, despite adherence to the District Assembly-approved Development Schemes and environmental regulations.

The association said it was not the licensed quarry operators that were violating safety protocols, but rather the unauthorised settlers.

The statement said encroachers had gone to issue threats, inciting unrest, and manipulating public sentiment through the media, thus creating tension between law-abiding operators and their workers.

The Association emphasized that members operated under strict compliance with environmental permits, blasting safety guidelines, and stakeholder engagement protocols.

The lack of coordinated enforcement by regulatory authorities has allowed this illegal trend to escalate to endanger communities, threatening jobs, derailing infrastructure projects, and resulting in significant revenue losses to the state.

It appealed to the media houses to refrain from sensational coverage that ignited fear and misrepresented facts.

“Given the unverified platforms to encroachers while vilifying licensed operators distorts the truth and undermines public confidence,” it said.

“We call on media practitioners to uphold ethical reporting standards that promote balanced, fact-based journalism in the public interest.

It also called on government authorities to address the issue with urgency to protect lives, equipment, and lawful concessions from further abuse.

“We will not allow encroachment, threats, and misinformation to erode the integrity of Ghana’s quarry industry.

The association urged the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Authority, Minerals Commission

Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to take decisive action to resolve the matter.

Source: GNA

The post Encroachment on quarry sites considered national emergency appeared first on Ghana Business News.

Read Full Story