Officers from the Abuakwa South Municipal office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) have raised urgent concerns after a monitoring tour revealed widespread environmental destruction and serious safety risks from illegal mining activities across the municipality.
The inspection, carried out on November 5, 2025, identified several damaging practices, including the diversion of major waterways and mining pits dug dangerously close to critical infrastructure. Communities heavily impacted include Kyebi Akwadum, Potrase, Akyem Apedwa, and Akyem Asafo.
The assessment showed that miners had blocked or redirected river courses, disrupting natural water flow and increasing flood risks. At Potrase, deep mining pits were found directly beneath high-tension electricity poles, while other excavations obstructed essential access roads to farmlands and villages, hindering transportation and posing significant accident hazards.
These disruptions have affected local livelihoods, especially for farmers who are unable to transport produce to markets due to damaged roads, resulting in post-harvest losses.
NADMO officials stressed that the illegal mining activities are not only harming the environment but also endangering public safety. They called on state security agencies, particularly the National Anti-Illegal Mining Secretariat (NAIMOS), to intervene swiftly, halt the destructive operations, prosecute offenders, and begin rehabilitating the degraded land.
