KWANYAKO RESIDENTS BLAME ILLEGAL MINING FOR CONTAMINATED WATER SUPPLY

Residents of Kwanyako in the Central Region are facing acute water shortages after their only source of water, the Ayensu River, turned thick brown in recent days.

According to the residents, the sudden change in the river’s quality took them by surprise. “We woke up one morning and found the water this way,” one indigene told reporters. “When we asked around, we were told it was because of illegal mining activities happening upstream.”

The Ayensu River feeds the Kwanyako Water Treatment Plant, which serves thousands of households in the area. With the river now heavily polluted, residents say the treatment process has been disrupted, leaving many communities without potable water.

The development has sparked concerns about the impact of illegal mining, or galamsey, on water bodies and public health. Residents are calling on government and environmental agencies to urgently investigate the situation and take steps to halt mining activities threatening their survival.

Meanwhile, local leaders have appealed to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and the Central Regional Coordinating Council to intervene and provide temporary relief measures while a long-term solution is pursued.