Added to the issues that go with illegal mining is environmental degradation. Illegal mining is impacting on virgin lands and farms and water bodies. In the Eastern Region for instance, the Birim river, a life line for more than a million people and animals is in danger of being polluted by such toxic material as mercury that is also endangering fish life. Sections have also been dug so deep parts of the river have ceased to flow regularly. The same goes for several river bodies in gold producing areas in the country.
Until recently with the growth of foreign interest in illegal mining, the major reason for the galamsey was the high rate of unemployment in the country. The incidence of foreign intervention has changed the dynamics and the only way to arrest the concomitant problems that have arisen is for government to institute strict regulations. Existing laws must be applied to weed out anyone in the country illegally engaged in galamsey.
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