Govt spending too much on water treatment - Dapaah

The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has expressed worry over the amount of money spent on treating water for Ghanaians due to the destruction and pollution of water bodies by illegal miners.

The minister is therefore urging Ghanaians to protect rivers and water bodies in the country.

Due to the activities of illegal miners on the Pra River which serves as one of the major sources of raw water for treatment to consumers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and its environs, the turbidity and colour parameters has risen to 3000 hephelo-metric unit and 5000 hazen unit.

Speaking at Daboase after she and her colleague Ministers paid a working visit to learn at first-hand the extent of damage caused by the operation of illegal miners, Madam Abena Dapaah intimidated that even though Ghana has about 53.2 cubic meters of water there is still the need to protect them for future generation.

“Governments spends so much in the treatment of raw water and I don’t understand why some Ghanaians will connive with Chinese nationals to pollute our rivers which is a source of drinking water for us, first some rivers bodies were sacred and people were even afraid to go near it but what do we see today,” she bemoaned.

She said government could only win the fight against illegal mining if Ghanaians become active citizens.

She assured that “Government has put in place enough measures to ensure we win the fight against galamsey”.

Managing Director for Ghana Water Company, Clifford Braimah, also told the ministers present that even though his company has some teething challenges which include obsolete equipment and machines, Ghana Water Company is unable to meet its demand to residents of Sekondi-Takoradi and its environs due to illegal mining activities.

He appealed to government to do all it can to flush out the illegal miners who are thwarting their operations

Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah is accompanied by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Western Regional Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah , Officials from the Water Resources Commission among others