Presidential Staffer and Chair of the Utility Review Hearing Committee, Nana Yaa Jantuah, has warned that Ghana could be forced to import water in the near future if illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, is not curbed.
Speaking at a public hearing on utility tariffs in Accra on Tuesday, September 9, Jantuah said galamsey is severely contaminating major water bodies, threatening national water security.
“Because of galamsey, the Ghana Water Company has a lot of issues with the water they have to process for us to use. In no time, Ghana will be water poor.”
She cautioned that rising treatment costs could make clean water unaffordable for vulnerable communities.
“Water might be imported, and that will create vulnerability for the vulnerable because the poor cannot buy from the pump,” Jantuah added.
She called on the media and stakeholders to unite in a non-partisan fight against galamsey to protect Ghana’s water resources.
