The Coalition Against Illegal Mining has sounded the alarm over Ghana’s looming water security crisis, warning that unchecked galamsey activities are fast rendering potable water scarce and unaffordable.
At a press conference in Accra on Monday, September 15, Convenor Dr. Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey urged government to treat the situation as a national emergency, stressing that polluted rivers and rising water treatment costs now threaten millions of households.
“The actions of these environmental criminals are calculated to deprive large communities of potable water, which is essential for life,” Dr. Ashigbey said. “This fits squarely within the conditions for declaring a state of emergency under Article 31 of the Constitution.”
The Coalition pointed to Ghana Water Limited’s recent request for tariff increases as evidence that water treatment costs have surged due to high turbidity levels caused by illegal mining. It called on the utility provider to publish water quality data regularly, allowing Ghanaians to assess whether treated water meets World Health Organisation standards.
Beyond emergency powers, the group demanded the prosecution of state officials complicit in illegal mining, stressing that partisan blame games will not resolve the crisis.
“Ghanaians deserve accountability, not excuses,” the Coalition declared, warning that failure to act decisively could plunge the country into a full-blown humanitarian emergency.
