A leading voice in the fight against illegal mining in Ghana, Erastus Asare Donkor, has disclosed that there was a raid in the Range Forest Reserve in the Eastern Region where mining activities are taking place.
From the raid, he disclosed that four excavators have been burned to serve as a deterrent against mining in forest reserves.
His post shared via social media read, “GALAMSEY UPDATE: Successful RAID carried out on illegal miners in Atewa Range Forest Reserve in the Eastern Region this dawn. Four excavators burnt!!”
The decision to burn the excavators has shocked several Ghanaians as the current government, while in opposition, condemned the decision by the then Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government to burn seized excavators.
One of the comments on the decision to burn the excavators read “Oh Excavators could be burnt after all? It isn’t the most stupid thing for a sitting government to do? They could not use it for District Assembly works? Or seize it for other use?”
Since the new government took place, there have not been stringent measures put in place to fight illegal mining.
There have been calls on the government to provide the people of Ghana with an idea of how they intend to combat illegal mining in forest reserves and water bodies across the country.
Weeks ago, some persons who are said to be close to the current administration were mining in the Tano Anwia Forest reserve.
