President John Mahama has revealed that illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, has affected 12,000 acres of land in Ghana.
Speaking at the Mining in Motion conference on Monday, 19th October, the President said all the affected lands are due for reclamation.
“Illegal mining has destroyed approximately 12,000 acres of land in Ghana. We have currently embarked on the reclamation of these forest reserves,” he said at the conference.
He also disclosed that 48 of Ghana’s 288 forest reserves had been affected by illegal mining, adding that the reserves had since been recovered and were undergoing restoration.
According to President Mahama, heavily armed illegal miners had occupied the affected reserves, leading to their designation as red zones for enforcement officers before they were recently recovered.
The President further revealed that 8,200 items had been confiscated during operations against illegal mining, including 135 excavators and more than 200 firearms.
He commended those involved in the fight against the menace, acknowledging their efforts to recover the affected reserves.