UMaT presents river cleaning technology to Lands Ministry

The University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, on Friday, provided detailed workings on how a technology it developed to clean polluted rivers work to the Ministry of Lands and National Resources.

Professor Richard Kwasi Amankwah, the Vice-Chancellor of UMaT, who performed the PowerPoint Presentation at the Ministry, in Accra, said the technology comprised chemicals that could reduce solid waste and mud in rivers because of the activities of illegal miners.

He explained that the chemicals were environmentally friendly and would pose no harm to water bodies or the environment.

He said the dirt and particles such as clay and colloids in the rivers that couldn’t settle at the base had charges in them, which made it difficult for them to sink to the bottom.

However, the chemical developed by the school would neutralise the charges and force them to settle on the base of the river.

"This will hereby create a clean water surface devoid of dirt and other contaminations and make the river bodies potable for use within a month," he said.

Prof Amankwah said the University had developed a short-term and a long-term strategy for its use, saying, "with the short-term measure, the rivers would be clean in a month".

"We have devised short-term and long term strategies for its use.

For instance, the short-term measure, we will mix the chemicals and get a drone to fly them across the rivers.

Moreover, the long-term strategy, it involves setting up work stations and then we introduce chemicals with controlled release of ions to maintain the gains," he added

Mr George Mireku Duker, a Deputy Minister Designate for the Ministry, who chaired the function, commended the University for the innovation.

"It gives hope that the fight against illegal mining and the restoration of the river bodies will be won".

He said they would send the innovation to the appropriate quarters for verification and approval.

Mr Duker, also a Member of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, said government had decentralised the galamsey fight to make it effective.

“We have decentralised the galamsey fight to the local level to allow the District Security Councils to lead the charge at their local level.

He said government had also employed water guards to monitor the river bodies.