The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Birim Central, Solomon Kusi Brako, has led a decisive operation against illegal mining (galamsey) along the Birim River at Akyem Oda in the Eastern Region.
Acting on intelligence reports of renewed galamsey activities, the task force seized six excavator control boards, other mining equipment, and a pump-action gun during the raid.
Describing the situation as “precarious and alarming,” Mr. Brako warned that unchecked illegal mining poses an imminent environmental disaster.
“The Birim River has been heavily polluted, its natural flow blocked, and farmlands destroyed. This poses a direct threat to lives and livelihoods, as well as the Ghana Water Company Limited’s treatment plant that supplies water to Akyem Oda, Akwatia, and Winneba,” he cautioned.
The MCE emphasized that galamsey continues to undermine national efforts to protect water bodies and restore degraded environments. He called for urgent, collective action to halt illegal mining and restore the river to its natural state.
This latest operation forms part of the government’s broader campaign to clamp down on galamsey, a practice that has left a trail of destruction across Ghana’s ecosystems.
Mr. Brako appealed to residents, traditional leaders, and security agencies to work together to safeguard recent gains and ensure the long-term sustainability of the Birim River.
