Techiman taskforce warns residents against polluting Tano Sacred River

A task force established by the Techiman Traditional Council in the Bono East Region has cautioned residents against polluting the Tano Sacred River.

Mr Prince Yaw Duah, leader of the task force, issued the warning in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the team toured sections of the river at Techiman.

He said the river remains a major source of potable water and stressed that the Traditional Council is putting measures in place to protect it. He warned that anyone found polluting the river would face sanctions.

“We are now patrolling the river course to stop activities that are causing harm to the river,” he stated.

Nana Kwame Kwane, a stool chief within the Techiman Traditional Council area, poured libation and performed rituals to appease the river deity due to the extent of pollution.

He explained that, according to tradition, the river deity, believed to take the form of a crocodile, has historically played a key role in maintaining peace in the area.

In a separate interview, Mr Emmanuel Lignule, Bono East Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Authority, commended the task force for its initiative to protect the river and other water bodies.

He noted that improving water, sanitation and environmental sustainability would help Ghana achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr Lignule urged the public to support efforts to improve access to clean water, sanitation facilities and to strengthen ecosystem protection.

During the visit, the Ghana News Agency observed that parts of the Tano Sacred River had been turned into a dumping site, with sections of the river choked with plastic waste and other materials, posing a threat to aquatic life.

The situation also endangers the habitat of the sacred crocodiles and fish, which are highly revered as totems and ancestral symbols of the chiefs and people of the Techiman Traditional Area.