The Eastern Regional Office of the Forestry Commission is planning to pitch camp some forest guards and Security operatives into the Atewa Forest reserve as the last resort to curb disturbing rate of invasion by illegal miners.

The Atewa Forest reserve is the headwaters of three important rivers in the country; Densu, Birim and Ayensu, which are essential sources of domestic, agricultural and industrial water for local communities and many of Ghana’s major population centres, including the capital city, Accra.

Since the ban on small scale and illegal mining, the Atewa Forest Reserve which is a Global Biodiversity Significant Area, has become a “safe haven” for illegal miners from across many mining communities in Eastern region and even outside the region as well as Foreign illegal miners.

The illegal miners have established many camping tents inside the Atewa Forest Reserve where they conceal to operate day and Night.

Each tent accommodates about 5 to 8 illegal miners where they spend many days mining in the the forest Reserve.

The handful of under resourced Forest guards manning the forest is overwhelmed by the modus operandi of the illegal miners and hardly gets to nab the suspects dotted within the vast forest area.

Despite the challenges ,the Forest Guards have been able to make at least 150 arrests since 2017 while others manage to escape but the number of illegal miners keep increasing.

Kasapa News Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah who was part of a media tour conducted by the Regional Forestry commission on Thursday September 27,2018 after eight(8) hours hike in the Atewa Forest observed and reported massive invasion of the forest by illegal miners who have already degraded 1.5 kilometers Square of the Forest reserve particularly in the upstream part of the three major rivers.

The illegal miners , mine inside the three major rivers ,discharge cyanide into the river which is treated for public consumption.

It was also observed that ,the illegal miners are on drugs as pieces of marijuana ,sachets of tramadol, alcohol were found in some of the camping tents they abandoned upon sensing danger on arrival by the team.

However ,the Team managed to arrest four of the illegal miners who were hiding in their tents.

The Eastern Regional Forestry Manager ,Yaw Atuahene Nyarko said the regional branch needs additional Forest Guards and logistics to pitch camp into the Forest to clamp down on the menace.

The Begoro District Manager of the Forestry Commission ,Kwame Oteng Awuah appealed to government to facilitate processes to provide alternate livelihood for illegal miners who have lost their livelihood as a result of the ban to keep them off the Forest Reserve since most of the illegal miners have diverted their attention to the Forest for mine for survival. – Kojo Ansah