The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atiwa East, Ernest Owusu Ntim, has begun deploying gas welders with anti-illegal-mining taskforces to dismantle chanfai boats and other equipment used for illegal mining on the Birim River — a move he says is more effective and deterrent than the traditional practice of burning or simply damaging engines of Chanfan Boats.
On Friday, the first gas welder was deployed together with the anti-galamsey taskforce formed by the Atiwa East District Assembly onto the Birim river. The welder cuts the Chanfan machines and boat into pieces as scraps leaving nothing behind.
The DCE for Atiwa East Ernest Owusu Ntim said the district has long battled illegal mining and, after reviewing past enforcement efforts, concluded that burning and destroying engines alone was not enough because those engines were relatively cheap and easily replaced.
The DCE believes the approach will discourage investors and financiers who build the Chanfan machines for desperate young people to mine from the river arguing that losing a GH₵100,000 boat is a much stronger deterrent than losing an engine that can be replaced at lower cost.
The DCE—an indigene familiar with the local mining dynamics—said he has worked in partnership with community leadership since taking office and has declared all river bodies in the district “no-go” areas for illegal mining.
He said the community leaders including chiefs have become watchdogs over their own rivers. This community based approach model, the DCE says is working perfectly in dealing with illegal mining on the rivers.
Story by: Kojo Ansah/Eastern Region
