The Chief of Twifo Mmaa Baasa, Nana Kofi Afful II, is urgently appealing for assistance to check the upsurge of illegal mining activities in the Twifo Atti Morkwa District, which is severely impacting local farming and contaminating water sources.
He urged the government to intervene swiftly to curb these unlawful activities, warning that continued inaction could lead to dire consequences for the community.
Nana Afful underscored the long-term repercussions of illegal mining, pointing out that for over a decade, agricultural productivity and water quality had suffered in Twifo Mmaa Baasa and surrounding areas.
The residents also echoed these concerns in separate interviews with the Ghana News Agency, sharing that they cultivated a variety of crops, including tiger nuts, cassava, plantain, cocoa, okro, pepper and maize but the mining activities were affecting their yields.
They also reported an alarming rise in health issues and diseases linked to mining operations.
Mr Samual Aidan, a farmer, expressed concerns about the detrimental effects on their annual farm yields, reducing their produce significantly.
Mr Yaw Asare, a community member, also noted the increase of diseases affecting their crops, insinuating that was the impact of illegal mining activities.
Madam Agnes Kwaa, another farmer, said the illegal mining activities had affected their lands so much that it was increasingly becoming difficult for residents to find suitable land for expansion of their farms.
Residents of other affected communities, such as Twifo Mampong, Morkwa, Agon, Bimpoagya, Tekyikurom, and Twifo Kyeaboso, all voiced their distress, attributing many of their current challenges to the unfettered illegal mining activities claiming their agricultural lands and traditional waters.
By Nana Kwame Essel
