The Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Energy Committee, Collins Adomako-Mensah, has raised alarm over the growing threat of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, to Ghana’s energy security.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Thursday, October 2, he warned that the menace could plunge the country into another round of dumsor.
Mr. Adomako-Mensah explained that beyond destroying farmlands and polluting rivers, illegal mining is now directly undermining electricity generation and transmission.
His warning comes after the Bole District Security Council (DISEC) launched a manhunt for about 15 illegal miners reportedly operating in the middle of the Black Volta River at Babator in the Savannah Region.
“As we speak now, galamsey is not only affecting water bodies, it is having a very heavy toll on electricity transmission. If we are not careful, we may get to a point where we may be experiencing dumsor, not because of financial reasons but mainly because of galamsey,” he said.
According to the lawmaker, the situation is particularly dire around the Bui enclave, where the Black Volta feeds directly into the Bui Dam. He explained that the flow and quality of the river are critical for power generation at the hydro plant.
“Bui takes its water source from the Black Volta. It is the speed of the water that helps the turbines to turn in order to produce electricity. Now we are having a situation where even the color of the water is changing. The turbidity of the water also affects the turbines, and this forces the operators to treat the water at a very high cost,” he noted.
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