By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
The government has deployed permanent security personnel to critical illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, hotspots across the country, marking a shift from previous arrangements under the past administration, according to the Media Relations Officer at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Paa Kwesi Schandorf.
Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show on Wednesday, Mr Schandorf said the move forms part of a broader strategy to sustain enforcement efforts and prevent the return of illegal miners after periodic raids.
He explained that security personnel are now stationed permanently at strategic riverbanks, forest reserves and mining concessions identified as high-risk areas for galamsey activities.
According to him, the continuous security presence is already yielding results, with fewer reports of illegal mining activities in previously affected communities. However, he acknowledged that the fight against galamsey requires collaboration among traditional leaders, local assemblies and mining communities to be fully effective.
Mr Schandorf urged residents to report illegal mining activities and support alternative livelihood programmes introduced for small-scale miners.
He noted that the permanent deployment is intended to deter illegal miners from returning to cleared sites and to protect water bodies and farmlands from further destruction. Previously, security operations were largely conducted as short-term exercises, with personnel withdrawn after initial raids, allowing illegal miners to resume activities.
Illegal mining remains a major environmental and economic concern in Ghana, contributing to the pollution of rivers, destruction of forest reserves and loss of agricultural land. The practice has also posed challenges for water treatment plants, with the Ghana Water Company Limited repeatedly warning about rising turbidity levels in major water sources.
The current administration has intensified the anti-galamsey campaign through Operation Halt II and joint task forces involving the military, police and the Minerals Commission. The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has also tightened licensing procedures and increased surveillance through the use of drones and satellite monitoring.
The ministry reiterated that the government’s strategy goes beyond enforcement to include regulation and formalisation of the small-scale mining sector. This includes streamlining licensing processes for responsible miners and promoting mercury-free mining technologies.
