Battle against galamsey should be won

 Battle against galamsey should be won

Unlawful mining, famously alluded to as galamsey, has been with man, particularly in Africa and Ghana, since the days of yore. In the past, people used to take gold out of the sand and trade it for money or other goods and services. The term "gather and sell," which has become galamsey, was derived from these "selling" and "gathering" activities.

As time went on, these gatherers began to perform their tasks with simple implements and tools like pick axes and hoes. In the 1980s and 1990s, this was common. Around the 2000s, these excavators duplicated the manner in which the limited-scale diggers were working and furthermore brought earth-moving gear into their activities. The real issue began at this point! The "galamsayers" began widespread and extensive environmental pillage.

Even our Western neighbor, Cote d'Ivoire, complained about the practice in Ghana, which had resulted in serious pollution of the waters that flow through Ghana. This caused serious and unprecedented degradation of the land and pollution of the water. This was the gravity of the illegal mining activities, which could have sparked a diplomatic spat.

It was for these and a lot more others that the public authority set up measures to end the unrestrained contamination of the climate which had likewise had serious impacts for the group of people yet to come. In order to combat the canker, a coalition was also formed by the media, which serves as the fourth estate of the nation and is one of the key development partners. Since then, a lot has been achieved.

For instance, Ghana Water Company Limited has stated that the fight against cancer has resulted in a reduction in the amount the company spends on chemicals to treat water for use in the home. Additionally, farmers have testified that the illegal miners have not destroyed their farmlands for some time. However, it appears that despite the efforts of the government, media coalition, and police/military Operation Vanguard, which was established to directly protect the environment from galamsey, the battle faces numerous obstacles.

The Daily Graphic believes that more needs to be done if the battle is to be won. The worry communicated by the Convener of the Media Alliance Against Galamsey for more brutal discipline for those indicted for galamsey offenses ought to be viewed in a serious way or, in all likelihood we would be wasting time and energy. Once more, we know that a significant number of individuals captured for their contribution in galamsey tasks are back to" the same old thing", knowing very well that what they can get from their unlawful tasks will be undeniably more than the fines that will be forced on them when they are put under the steady gaze of court.

We are aware that the coalition has submitted a petition to the Chief Justice and Attorney General, and we anticipate that the petition will be promptly considered. We urge the nation to marshal all of its resources to prevent the progress that has been made from stalling; otherwise, it would have been better if it had not begun at all. If the penalties and fines imposed are insufficient to deter the fight, we will soon live with regret as a nation.