Abuakwa South MP Dr Kingsley Agyemang has announced plans for a live media tour of illegal mining sites across the constituency as he seeks to expose the scale of destruction caused by galamsey activities to the environment and water resources.
The announcement follows a working visit by the MP to the Birim River, where he assessed the impact of illegal mining activities on the river and the operations of the Ghana Water Company Limited’s water treatment facility in Kibi.
During the visit, Dr Agyemang, who was accompanied by the District Manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited in Kibi, was informed that the average turbidity of the Birim River had risen to approximately 50,000 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU). He was further informed that the water treatment plant has remained shut down since August 2025, amid the deteriorating condition of the river.
Dr Agyemang described what he witnessed at the river as deeply troubling, warning that the destruction of the water body poses a serious threat to access to clean water for communities that depend on it.“Standing beside the muddy waters, I witnessed the troubling state of a river that has sustained our communities for generations. Its destruction threatens our access to clean water and places a heavy burden on the people who depend on it,” he said.
According to the MP, the situation has compelled him to begin a live media tour of galamsey sites across the Abuakwa South Constituency to bring the extent of environmental degradation directly before the Ghanaian public.
He said the exercise would also seek to expose what he described as the “nation wreckers” responsible for the destruction and increase pressure for accountability.
Dr Agyemang said the planned tour would provide an opportunity to document the impact of illegal mining activities across the constituency and draw national attention to the condition of affected water bodies and communities.
He stressed that the destruction of the Birim River should not be treated merely as an environmental issue, arguing that it directly affects the availability of safe drinking water and the livelihoods and wellbeing of communities.
The MP is therefore calling for urgent and coordinated action to halt illegal mining activities, protect the Birim River and restore the operations of the Kibi water treatment facility.
“We need urgent, coordinated action to stop illegal mining, protect the Birim and restore water treatment operations. Our communities deserve clean water, and future generations deserve a living river,” Dr Agyemang said.
The planned media tour is expected to place the environmental consequences of illegal mining in Abuakwa South under renewed public scrutiny, while putting the spotlight on the individuals and activities responsible for the degradation of the constituency’s water resources.
For Dr Agyemang, the objective is not only to document the destruction but also to push for concrete action to protect the Birim River and secure access to clean water for present and future generations.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
