Lands ministry set to introduce “The River Guards” to protect waterbodies from galamsey

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is set to introduce “The River Guards” to protect the country’s waterbodies from destruction caused by illegal mining, also known as galamsey.

These guards will serve as vigilant stewards of the nation’s rivers, reminiscent of the Young Pioneers of old, to prevent further degradation of water resources due to illegal mining activities.

According to the sector minister, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, this initiative will be implemented alongside the “Blue Water Initiative.”

Both initiatives aim to restore and protect the environment while rehabilitating polluted water bodies.

“As part of President Mahama’s commitment to restoring and protecting our environment while rehabilitating polluted water bodies, we are proud to announce the launch of the ‘Blue Water Initiative’ and the training of the first batch of ‘The River Guards,’” the minister said in a social media post on Sunday, March 16.

“These dedicated individuals will act as vigilant stewards of our rivers, in the spirit of the Young Pioneers of old, to safeguard our water bodies from the harmful effects of illegal mining activities.”

The launch, which will be attended by President John Dramani Mahama, is scheduled to take place at the Ezilinbo Naval Base in the Western Region on Monday, March 17.