The 400 hundred Military Personnel deployed during the second phase of Operation Halt to protect rivers bodies against activities of illegal miners across the country have so far destroyed 28 excavators, and 267 chamfering machines and other equipment belonging to the galamsayers.
Others include 18, 1 miming machine, 1 dredging machines, 10 plastic chairs, 8 industrial batteries, 18 generator sets, 5 canoes among others.
Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul who disclosed these during a press conference in Accra indicated that all equipment destroyed so far by the military were situated within the 100 metres radius of the river bodies, which is against the legal provision.
According to the Minerals and Mining regulations, 100 metre radius around water bodies and forest reserves are classified as red zones and therefore not expected to be entered into for any human activity.
Per the regulation, no equipment is expected to be located within the 100m radius of river bodies, any equipment found within the 100m radius by the military during Operation Halt were decommissioned and demobilized.
The Defence Minister reported that the military observed some heavy mining equipment relocated to adjourning communities into hideouts.
He indicated that the operations will continue until the President’s objective of making water bodies free from pollution due to illegal mining activities.
The Bimbila Member of Parliament urged Ghanaians to protect their lands and advised the need for the Lands Ministry to review the law prohibiting mining 100 metre away from water bodies.
