The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has reported that twenty-two (22) people have drowned in abandoned illegal mining pits in the Central Region within the last seven months.
According to a report by myjoyonline.com, on September 1, 2025, the data was disclosed by the Central Regional Director of NADMO, Kwesi Dawood, who noted that victims included illegal miners, also referred to as galamseyers, as well as innocent people, such as women and children.
Describing the rate at which people drown in abandoned galamsey pits as alarming and heartbreaking, the regional director noted that the actual figure could be higher due to underreporting.
He was speaking during a media briefing after a Regional Security Council meeting, which resulted in the launch of a taskforce to reclaim illegal mining sites across all mining districts within the region.
The taskforce, comprising agencies such as NADMO, Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Minerals Commission, miners, and the media, will operate within various MMDAs, including Assin North, Assin Central, Upper Denkyira East and West, Twifo Ati-Morkwa, Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira, and the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality.
The regional NADMO director said the initiative aims to address environmental destruction and safety hazards caused by illegal mining.
He added that it formed part of the government’s broader plan to convert degraded lands into productive agricultural lands and tree plantations.
“This initiative includes implementing our ‘Tree for Life’ reforestation policy, aimed at cultivating cash crops such as cocoa, palm, and rubber on rehabilitated sites,” he explained.
Kwesi Dawood urged galamsey operators to desist from their activities and join the reclamation exercise to protect national food security.