Citi FM’s Obrempong assesses impact of galamsey on Daboase water plant 

Following reports of imminent closure of some water treatment plants in the country over threat of  illegal mining [galamsey] activities, Citi News' Obrempong Yaw Ampofo, visited the Daboase water treatment plant in the Western Region, to assess the extent of damage such activities have caused to the plant.

He found out that, illegal mining if not checked, will plunge some parts of the Western Region into a water crisis.

Below is the full report:
It has been announced that three major water treatment plants in Ghana, were going to be shut down from the effect of illegal mining activities.

Not before I could finish this piece, the unpleasant news came that the Kyebi Water Treatment Plant which was among the three; Barekese Dam and the Daboase Treatment Plant had been shut down two days after the announcement was made.

Really? I said to myself. I was wondering what might have occurred for the Citi Breakfast Show team to dedicate over a week discussing illegal mining.

Back in the newsroom, our bosses were contemplating on getting a report on the root cause of the activity that has terminated the source of drinking water for thousands in the Eastern Region, and the impending danger in the Ashanti and Western Regions.

The first thing that came to mind, was to get to the Ghana Water Company Limited in the Western Region, when I was asked to report on the issue. I needed them such that I could understand the situation at its Daboase Water Treatment Plant in the Wassa East District.

Resources were put together by the team in Accra.  The Communications Officer of the Ghana Water Company Limited in the region Kwamina Acquah was on standby.

At about 10am Tuesday August 30, we were at the Daboase Water Treatment Plant.

Before I share my experience with illegal miners I met on the Pra River, here is a summary of the things that caught my attention:

1. That illegal miners were busily digging about 20 meters away from the main Daboase Water Treatment Plant intake point
2. That a dyke created with boulders in 2012 to facilitate the collection of water from the Pra River is on the verge of collapse as the miners have dug out its foundation.
3. That the water levels have decreased significantly even in the main wet season, because the miners have widened the course of the river at the intake point.
4. That the inner perimeter of the huge tunnels drawing untreated water from the Pra River are rusty and were been worked on at the time of our visit
5. That the water pumping machines at Daboase were not manufactured to draw brown and turbid water but that is what has become the norm.
6. That the Ghana Water Company Limited have had to carry out constant maintenance activities to safeguard the three multi-million dollar pumps.
7. That the color of the Pra River has reached the yellowish levels of 1,700 when measured, and that more chemicals such as alum and chlorine have had to be imported and applied to reduce it to 5. [Reduce the 1,700 to 5]
8. That 50 bags of alum are required to treat the water compared to 5 some 10 years ago.
9. That increased chemicals and maintenance cost means consumers would have to pay more as water tariffs
10. That 31,723 customers/homes of the company in the western region will have no water when the situation at the dam requires a shutdown.
11. That both the Daboase and the Nchaaban headworks are producing below machine capacity due to pollution and low water levels.
12. That the Ghana Water Company believes government would have to face the bull by the horn to end illegal mining activities on the Pra.

After these observations, I decided to understand from the illegal miners why they will engage in pollution of this level. My  adventure thus commenced at this point.

Previous actions by the national task-force on illegal mining have made the miners aggressive and shrewd. Every foreigner is a suspected enemy. They are armed too. Mark Eghan, a community member at Daboase who was as scared as myself, agreed to lead me to a point where he will leave me alone to my fate. On the way, he explained to me what he sees every day.

He said; “many of the illegal miners come from Beposo, the town which hosts the last toll booth when you are coming to Takoradi from Accra. Every morning, a car brings them for work. It comes back to pick them in the evening.

When they are on the river, they search for areas with high likelihood of a find. Many of them are dotted on the river at many different locations along the communities. Majority of them are at the upper part of the river in communities such as Bosomase, Adukrom there around. Only few of them are seen down here.

Sometimes, one person can own four or maybe six of the boats.  One of them will lead the search. In the event of a find, the others are called to join. So there could be between ten or fifteen of the boats assembled at one point at a time. Same way if there is no find, they all go in search.  One thing is that, sometimes the miners themselves are also afraid. You put them on high alert even if you are an indigene passing by with your canoe on the river”.

As we were approaching the miner's base on the River, Mark stood behind some bamboos and signaled the miners. He shouted:

“Hooooo”!, “hoooo!!” He then ran back to avoid being recognized.

From this point, I could see them. They were not far from the intake point. But to get to them I needed a canoe.

At this stage, the loud and piercing sound from the changfan had taken over the air. This changfan is similar to a corn mill. The miners use two of such machines mounted on a wooden vessel. This machine digs deep into the belly of the Pra River leading to the increased turbidity and brownish colorization of the Pra River as it is seen today.

As I struggle to ride on one of the hidden canoes onto the Pra River, the piercing sound of the Changfan went dead as the operators sensed my arrival.

On various parts of the river, similar machines have been installed. Several artificial islands are also created by their activities on the river.

As I approach the wooden vessel, all five on board the vessel stop their operations and stood alert. Here, I'm ordered not to proceed.

“Hey, stop riding! Who are you, where are you from and what are you doing here? The leader on the vessel questioned.

After introducing myself some 10 meters away, I am ordered to raise both hands up as they approach me in their canoe.

“Anyway, put your bag in the canoe, raise your hands up and turn around to face where you came from. We are taking your canoe. Stay put”! Two persons come with another canoe. One joins to take over mine whilst the other remains in their canoe.

After nearly an hour of trying to convince my hosts, I was given strict orders.

They searched my pockets and belongings for any electronic recording devices and ordered me not to take any photographs. They pointed to a locally manufactured gun and warned any wrong move could land me in the river dead.

“You guys sit up there and condemn us, chase us as if we are foreigners. Look around, everything here is water. Don't be fooled. If you make any wrong move, you will be in the river” as he speaks to one of his colleagues in a different language who comes out with a locally manufactured gun and hands it over to his colleague.

As my explanation was accepted by the leader, he then asked me out of my canoe to board their wooden vessel. He dedicates two persons to grant me interviews on why they do what they do. Here too, I am restricted on the kind and number of questions to ask.

Below is the conversation:
Me: Which region are you from and how did you land on the Pra River?

Him:“I’m not mentioning my name but I'm from the Volta Region. I came here to do this after a friend called to tell me that there is a work here that can help me get something to further my education. I asked whether he was sure and he said yes. That's why I'm here doing this work.

Me: How much money do you make in a week?
Him: I make at least GH600 a week. That's when things do not go in our favor. But I realize that I cannot use this money to fund my education again because my parents are old and are not working. I take care of them. I cannot use this money for school before I make something out to support my parents. So I have to stay here and work to get something to them.

Me: Is there anything that can be done such that you stop working in the Pra River?

Him: [He chuckles] As for me, I don't know much but if there is something that can get us out, it will be work[job]. It's the job to do. That's the main problem why we are here. It's not my wish to be here day and night, rain or shine. It is because I'm looking for something, and as soon as I get it, I will stop.

Me: And how long will it take you to get what you are looking for?

Him: Oh; if I get it today, I will stop and go back to continue my education. [Notice the contradiction. At some point he cannot stop to go back to school again because of his parents, and now if he gets what he is looking for he will stop]

Me: You told me earlier you are guided by principles for your work. Can you tell us about that?

Him: Before we started this work, the chiefs in this area told us that there are machines for the Ghana Water Limited here. And there is a [Beposo] Bridge. We have been told not to work around them because we all use it. It is from these machines that we get water. So we try not to destroy them. None of us tries to act opposite what the chiefs have told us.

Me: How do you feel when the government chases you with police and military, helicopters flying over and all that?

Him: [He chuckles again] Hmm, I feel very bad. If I look back at what brought me here, I still need money. It's not my wish to be here. Through that, some of us fall sick and go home, others also die. It's not our wish. The government has to relax for us and ask for one or two things and solve our problems for us.

Me: So what should the government do to get you out of the river such that you stop polluting the river?

Him: Hmm, I may say that some of us are educated whilst others are not. Some of us can read and write, we are very well educated. Those who are educated, they are into this because of money. If there could be job for us that will be all. Those who cannot too, the government should look into it and get them skills such that they can do something other than this.

After this conversation, one other Ewe speaking gentleman was asked to speak to me which I did. He basically reechoed similar sentiments

After, I was handed over the canoe and escorted some meters away from to the middle of the River. At this time, the rain had started falling. However, few things are clear from what I've witnessed.

1. That the fight against illegal mining may not necessarily be won at gun point but with some sort of proper studies and dialogue.
2. That maybe an inventory of the number of youth and communities involved in the act along the banks of the Pra River and other polluted rivers may be a starting point at determining the enormity of the problem and youth we are dealing with. This may help to determine which support will be required to encourage the youth out of the river bodies.
3. That majority of the youth are laborers for owners of the Changfan and that to stop the pollution, importers and owners of the changfan machine should be government's target and not necessarily those on the rivers.
4. That, the government may forever lose the battle in fighting river pollution if it assumes that those excavating cocoa farms and other areas are the same people and technology used on these rivers.
5. And finally, that not many of the indigenes along the river bodies are involved in the pollution, but majority are those who have migrated from other parts of the country.

After I had gotten out of the canoe to safety, the kingpin shouted to warn me, report exactly what you saw, and so I have done.

–
By: Samuel Acquah Swanzy[Obrempong Yaw Ampofo]