Dorfor Paramount chief Togbega Anati Kode Duagbor is worry about Illegal sand winning activities that is causing extensive destruction to lands and forest areas at Fintey Dorfor in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region, posing a serious threat to the environment and the livelihoods of residents.
Unknown persons, believed to be operating mostly at night, are reportedly using heavy-duty trucks and machinery to excavate sand indiscriminately, leaving behind deep pits, destroyed farmlands, and degraded forest cover.
The Paramount Chief of the Dorfor Traditional Area, Togbega Anati Kode Duagbor, has expressed grave concern over the worsening situation, describing the activities as unlawful and environmentally dangerous. According to the chief, the continuous illegal sand winning is destroying the little fertile land and forest resources left in the community, increasing erosion and exposing residents to potential environmental disasters.
Togbega Anati Kode Duagbor has therefore called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Environmental Health Officers, the Lands Commission, and the Ghana Police Service to urgently intervene and halt the illegal operations. He also appealed to security task forces to arrest and prosecute those involved in the illegal activities to serve as a deterrent to others.
The chief warned that if the situation is not addressed immediately, Fintey Dorfor could lose its vast farmlands, which serve as the main source of livelihood for the people. He cautioned that continued land destruction could lead to food shortages, unemployment, hunger, and a rise in social vices, including crime, in the community.
He therefore urged the relevant authorities to identify and deal decisively with the wrongdoers, stressing that Fintey Dorfor is largely an agrarian community with vast lands for farming, which must be protected for present and future generations.
