Ghana would soon import portable water from neighbouring countries in a few years’ time if efforts are not made to end illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’, Water Research Institute has warned.
The warning came to light at the 2017 celebration of the World Water Day held at the Action International Chapel in Accra.
According to the Water Research Institute, the operations of galamsey is continually damaging water bodies in Ghana and hence provision of water to the country would be part of the foreign aids that would be offered the country.
Head, Environmental Chemistry Division of the institute, Dr. Osmund Duodu Ansa-Asare said there was the need to raise public awareness about the interdependence between water and wastewater in the quest for sustainable development; and also educate the public on the importance of considering wastewater as a valuable resource that requires safe management with the objective to shun the galamsey activities.
He added that we as the people must have the will to stop wasting waters from our homes and abort the chase down activities with military patrols on the galamsey miners only.
“If we don’t take care we would import bottle water. We haven’t lost the fight against galamsey. What we need is the will of the people. Some people think it’s their jobs. It’s a question of educating them and getting them involved. The taskforce will chase them during the day but will yield no avail by night…” he said.
He further urged various communities to come together to link their sewage systems in a move to adopt the treatment plant recycling system where wastewater will be a thing of the past to help eliminate septic tanks that likely pollutes our underground waters.
“I personally think that we have communities. What we have to do is to start in a small way. Just like developed countries have a sewer system, we can also link our wastewaters and link them by a simple treatment system designed for the community solely. I don’t think we should wait for government to come to our help…” he maintained.
“The advocacy should begin from the family level to community to districts then to the nation. If managed well, waste water comes with a lot of benefits,” he noted.
Source: Ghana | Adomonline.com | Dennis Kofi Adu
