The Birim Just four days after the government’s "Operation Halt" cleared illegal miners in Anyinam, the river has returned to its polluted, brownish state. This setback comes despite the deployment of over 100 armed military personnel aimed at combating illegal mining activities, commonly referred to as galamsey.
The military, working alongside the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, seized and burned three *changfan* machines along the banks of the Birim River on October 10. The Birim River, an essential water source, has been heavily polluted by illegal mining, prompting swift intervention from the authorities.
The military-led task force initially targeted Anyinam, a known illegal mining hotspot in the Atiwa East District of the Eastern Region. Despite the recent operations, the pollution has quickly resurfaced, signaling the persistent challenges in eradicating galamsey.
In response to rising concerns from organized labor and civil society over the environmental damage, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo directed the Minister for Defence to deploy additional forces to reinforce "Operation Halt." As part of these efforts, the task force also destroyed 10 *changfans*, a pistol, and eight water-pumping machines on the Pra River in the Central Region on Friday, October 11.