Dr. Eric Gyimah, an environmental engineer and lecturer at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), has questioned the effectiveness of burning excavators as a way to fight illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Deide Tettey, Dr. Gyimah argued that the destruction of mining equipment has not reduced illegal mining in the country.
“They should come back and give us the statistics. How many excavators did they burn? And how many do we have now? Has the number reduced?” he asked.
He emphasizes that those involved in illegal mining often have the money to replace their machines, making the burning of excavators a temporary and ineffective solution.
“If you burn one excavator today, the owner can buy two more tomorrow. So what have you really achieved?” he questioned.
He called for a smarter and more strategic approach. Instead of destroying machines, he suggested that the government should track and seize them, prosecute offenders, and properly regulate small-scale mining.
As someone born and raised in Tarkwa, a key mining town, he has seen firsthand the environmental destruction caused by illegal mining. He pointed to the recent shutdown of the Bonsa Water Headworks as proof that galamsey is destroying the country’s water sources.
“We are losing our clean water. Farms are being destroyed. Soon, we will face serious food shortages. Yet we keep using short-term solutions instead of tackling the real issues,” he warned.
Dr. Gyimah believes that until the government and local communities take illegal mining seriously and fight it with real commitment, the problem will only get worse.
“If we are really ready to fight this, we can. But I don’t see that commitment yet,” he concluded.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Desmond Offei
