The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Hon. Dr Kingsley Agyemang, has sounded an emotional call to action over the worsening pollution of the Birim River, describing the situation as a national emergency that demands immediate and decisive intervention.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, October 8, 2025, Dr Agyemang expressed deep concern that the Kyebi Water Treatment Plant, operated by the Ghana Water Company Limited, has been forced to shut down for more than three months due to extreme levels of contamination in the river.
According to him, the Birim River, once the main source of potable water for Kyebi and surrounding communities, has become “a thick sludge of poison,” with turbidity levels soaring to 64,000 NTU—making the water completely untreatable and unsafe for consumption.
“This grim reality means thousands of my constituents have been left without clean water for over three months. And when water is life, the absence of it is the absence of life itself,” the MP lamented.
Dr Agyemang blamed the dire situation on illegal mining activities (galamsey), noting that many of those engaged in the act are foreign nationals whose operations have not only devastated the environment but also contributed to rising insecurity, drug abuse, and social instability in the area.
He warned that the consequences of galamsey extend beyond the river, citing its impact on agriculture, cocoa production, public health, and education, adding that “when our rivers are dead, our farms unproductive, and our schools empty, we lose not only our livelihood but also our future.”
The MP called on all key institutions in the Criminal Justice system—including the Police, the Prosecution Service, the Judiciary, and the Environmental Protection Agency—to enforce the law without fear or favour.
“The law must bite, and it must bite hard. Those who profit from the destruction of our environment, whether local or foreign, must face the full rigours of the law,” he declared.
While commending the Abuakwa South Municipal Assembly and the security agencies for their recent crackdown on illegal mining operations, Dr Agyemang urged them to sustain the effort, stressing that “true success will not be measured by press briefings or temporary raids, but by the restoration of clean water and the revival of our farmlands.”
He also appealed to traditional leaders, youth groups, churches, and citizens to unite in the fight against illegal mining, describing it as a moral, not political, battle.
“The Birim River must live again. For without water, there is no life, and without life, there is no future,” he concluded.
Source: Adomonline
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Read the full statement below: