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Danmark Prime Company Leads Massive Reclamation of Illegal Mining Pits in Atwima Kwanwoma
Source:Managing Editor, DailyWatchGH.com/Justice Baffour
Following the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council’s (RCC) two-week ban on all mining activities at Nweneso No.1, Nweneso No.2 and surrounding communities in the Atwima Kwanwoma District over severe land degradation,significant progress has been made in the ongoing reclamation of abandoned illegal mining pits.
A monitoring exercise conducted by DailyWatchGH.com revealed that Denmark Prime Company Ltd,working in partnership with the rulong government,has intensified efforts to reclaim mining pits left behind by illegal miners. The operation forms part of government’s commitment to restoring degraded lands and protecting the environment.
Although the ban on mining activities remains in force, the Ashanti Regional coordinating council RCC has maintained that it will only be lifted after it is satisfied with the progress of the reclamation exercise.
The inspection by DailyWatchGH.com together with some departmental head of Atwima Kwanwoma District,national security personnels observed remarkable improvements in the affected communities compared to previous weeks,with several dangerous mining pits already covered and reclaimed.
Speaking to the media,the Operations Manager of Denmark Prime Company Ltd,Mr.Robert Dambo,reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting the government’s environmental restoration agenda.
According to him,the company has successfully reclaimed more than 25 acres of degraded land within just five days.He disclosed that the company’s target is to ensure that over 90 percent of all abandoned illegal mining pits in the area are reclaimed before the end of the year.
The Head of the Atwima Kwanwoma District Mining Committee,Mr. Kingston Opoku Bediako,assured residents that the ongoing inspections would not be a one-off exercise. He stressed that the monitoring team would continue conducting daily inspections to ensure that President John Dramani Mahama’s vision of reclaiming lands destroyed by illegal mining is fully achieved.
Also speaking to the media, the Head of the Environmental Department at the Atwima Kwanwoma District Assembly, Mr. Ernest Boakye,commended Denmark Prime Company Ltd for its outstanding performance and dedication to the reclamation exercise.
He further disclosed that the District Assembly is collaborating with relevant stakeholders to plant economic and indigenous tree species on reclaimed lands to restore vegetation and revive agricultural activities in the affected communities.
The reclamation exercise is expected to improve environmental sustainability,enhance public safety,and restore farmlands that were destroyed by illegal mining activities,while supporting the government’s broader fight against illegal mining (galamsey).
The Atwima Kwanwoma District Security Coordinator also issued a strong warning to individuals who defy the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council’s directive banning mining activities in the area. He stressed that security agencies would not hesitate to arrest and prosecute anyone found engaging in illegal mining or violating the ban. He assured the public that law enforcement officers would continue to patrol the affected communities to ensure full compliance until the reclamation exercise is satisfactorily completed.
