Farmers living along the River Osen in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa District of the Central Region are calling on the government to urgently intervene as illegal mining activities have resumed at the boundary of the Subiri Forest Reserve, near the Wassa Osenso area in the Wassa East District of the Western Region.
According to the farmers, the illegal miners, who were previously driven away, have returned with two excavators, a “pop action” machine, and other equipment, operating day and night. On October 6th, their activities polluted the River Osen, which flows from the Western Region to the Central Region and serves as a vital water source for drinking, farming, and other domestic uses for communities in Twifo Atti-Morkwa.It took the intervention of the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Twifo Atti-Morkwa and three assembly members to chase the miners away during their earlier operation. However, residents say the miners have resurfaced and now claim they possess a license from the Minerals Commission to mine at the boundary of the forest reserve.
The affected communities fear that if the situation is not addressedespecially during the rainy seasonthey may lose access to clean water for farming, drinking, and daily activities. They are therefore appealing to the government to act immediately to stop the illegal mining activities before the situation worsens.
