{"id":97615,"date":"2025-10-08T08:54:55","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T08:54:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=97615"},"modified":"2025-10-08T08:54:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T08:54:55","slug":"abuakwa-south-mp-raises-alarm-over-birim-river-pollution-calls-for-immediate-end-to-galamsey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=97615","title":{"rendered":"Abuakwa South MP raises alarm over Birim River pollution, calls for immediate end to galamsey"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>2 Minute, 41 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, has appealed for urgent action to stop illegal mining (galamsey), which he says has left thousands of residents without clean water and is destroying the very fabric of the community.<\/p>\n

In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 8, titled \u201cA Cry for Our Birim River and Our People: The Time to End Galamsey in Abuakwa South is Now,\u201d Dr Agyemang said he has watched \u201cwith deep sorrow as the soul of Abuakwa South bleeds.\u201d <\/p>\n

He revealed that the Ghana Water Company Limited has been unable to operate the Kyebi Water Treatment Plant for over three months due to the heavily polluted Birim River.<\/p>\n

According to him, the river\u2019s turbidity has reached 64,000 NTU, a level he described as \u201cso dangerously high that the water is untreatable and unsafe for human use.\u201d This, he said, has deprived thousands of people across the municipality of access to potable water.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen water is life, the absence of it is the absence of life itself,\u201d the MP said. \u201cAbuakwa South, the land of our birth and hope, now gasps for breath because a few individuals have chosen greed over the collective good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Agyemang expressed concern that many of those engaged in illegal mining are foreigners, whose actions have far-reaching effects beyond environmental degradation. <\/p>\n

\u201cTheir actions are not only destroying our natural environment but also undermining the peace, safety, and moral fabric of our society,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are witnessing a surge in crime, drug abuse, and general social instability.\u201d<\/p>\n

He warned that the impact of galamsey extends beyond the riverbanks, pointing to the destruction of farmlands, the poisoning of soil, and the decline of cocoa production. \u201c<\/p>\n

When our rivers are dead, our farms unproductive, and our schools empty, we lose not only our livelihood but also our future,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Calling for stronger enforcement of the law, Dr Agyemang urged institutions within the criminal justice system, including the Police, the Prosecution Service, the Judiciary, and the Environmental Protection Agency to act \u201cdecisively and without fear or favour.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThe law must bite, and it must bite hard. Those who profit from the destruction of our environment, whether local or foreign, must be made to face the full rigours of the law,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

The MP also commended the Abuakwa South Municipal Assembly and security agencies for their recent efforts to clamp down on illegal mining. However, he cautioned that these efforts must not be short-lived.<\/p>\n

\u201cI urge that this not become another nine-day wonder,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe measure of true success will not be in press briefings or temporary raids, but in the restoration of clean water, the return of our farmlands, and the rejuvenation of our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Agyemang further appealed to traditional authorities, youth groups, religious bodies, and all citizens of goodwill to unite in the fight against galamsey. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not a political battle. It is a moral and existential one,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are fighting for our survival, for our children, and for generations yet unborn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Birim River must live again. For without water, there is no life, and without life, there is
is no future,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n