GWCL Boss Suggests Government Declares Water Bodies National Security Zones
- The Ghana Water Company Limited has urged the government to declare water bodies as security zones
- Dr Clifford Braimah, GWCL's Managing Director, said by putting the Water Resources Commission under the Defence Ministry, the water bodies would be better protected
- He explained that the destruction of the country’s water bodies is a national security issue and must be treated with the utmost urgency
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Following the recent devastation of the Pra River due to heightened illegal mining activities, the Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has suggested a radical idea to stem the menace.
Dr Clifford Braimah has urged the government to declare water bodies in the country as security zones and place them under the protection of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Source: Getty Images
He explained that the destruction of the country’s water bodies is a national security issue and must be treated with the utmost urgency.
He said the declaration of water bodies as national security zones is nothing new, as some countries worldwide have similar structures to protect important water bodies.
He said that under the policy, the Water Resources Commission would operate as a civilian agency under the Ministry of Defence.
Dr Braimah said the government must assess the military’s ability to address
In an interview on JoyNews, Dr Braimah said the current practice where the military is deployed to the forest for only a short while is unhelpful.
He said that if the government made it the military's responsibility to ensure the safety of the water resources, the galamsey menace could be resolved in 100 days.
Dr Braimah is convinced that sustained military intervention in protecting the country’s rivers and waterbodies would ensure high-quality results in the fight against galamsey.
He argued that leaving the fight in the hands of politicians would yield little to no results.
Security analyst blames politicians for galamsey situation
Security Analyst Adib Saani has blamed political interference in the fight against galamsey for its inability to produce desired results.
He said politicians, who themselves are culprits, have taken to undermining the efforts of the military in maintaining Ghana's ecological integrity.
Adib Saani, in an interview with YEN.com.gh, urged politicians to steer clear of the galamsey fight and allow the military to perform its duties.
"The incessant interference by politicians who are also culprits is what is defeating this battle. I mean, what is it? This is not a rebellion. This is not an armed battle. Non-state, sub-state actors, these are just individuals who are hell-bent on destroying the forest cover and destroying the beauty of the country and endangering lives as a result," he said.
GWCL bemoans pollution of Pra River
The management of the Ghana Water Company Limited in the Central Region says it is facing challenges in supplying potable water to Cape Coast, Elmina, and surrounding communities.
The GWCL stated that its challenge stems from the inadequacy of raw water received at the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant (WTP) due to the activities of illegal miners on the River Pra.
The GWCL, in a press statement issued on Friday, August 30, 2024, stated that the pollution of the River Pra, particularly at the catchment area for abstraction, has greatly affected water intake, reducing it to the barest minimum.
The GWCL explained that about 60 percent of the catchment capacity is silted, which greatly affects raw water quality.
Twins die in galamsey pit
YEN.com.gh reported that two-and-a-half-year-old twins had been swallowed up by a galamsey pit behind their house at Morkwa.
The children had fallen into the uncovered, water-filled pit while playing in the area on Thursday, August 29, 2024.
According to residents, their death marks the eighth fatality linked to an uncovered galamsey pit.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
