Ban on sand winning at Keta beaches still in force — MCE warns

Mr Emmanuel Gemegah, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Keta, has said the ban on sand winning and its related activities at beaches in the Municipality is still in force.

He said though there were engagements ongoing within the Assembly to resolve the issue of citizens' need for sand and gravel for various purposes, at the moment, “sand winning activities at our beaches remain prohibited.”

Mr Gemegah who spoke in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said he would convene a meeting of the Municipal Security Council to discuss issues of the ban and do a thorough assessment to find out if people were flouting the ban.

He said the next line of action would stem from the Council meeting.

He was reacting to unconfirmed reports of people still winning sand at the beaches under the cover of darkness.

The Keta Municipal Assembly, in November 2021 inaugurated a joint Police and Military taskforce to enforce the ban on sand mining at the beaches following a tidal storm earlier in the month, which caused devastation to some coastal communities in the Municipality.

The ban aimed to serve as an immediate measure to rein in the devastating effects of the sea on people along with Keta's coastal communities as some state agencies and other experts named sand winning from the beaches as one of the causes of sea erosion.

While Mr Gemegah denied knowledge of the practice as ongoing, he assured that the Assembly would investigate the claim for the action needed to be taken.

The MCE said the Assembly was in the meantime, seeking views on engaging interested companies to dredge the sea to make available enough sand to serve the sand needs of citizens.

“Engagements are ongoing to resolve the issue of sand needs in the Municipality. Some companies have shown interest in dredging our sea but we are mindful to hasten slowly because we do not want the Assembly to be taken to ransom.

Companies may have their own interests and we will need the one, which will serve our interest as a Municipality,” he said.

GNA