Illegal mining along the Black Volta River in the Wa West District of Ghana has led to the arrest of seven people.
According to MyJoyOnline and GhanaWeb, the culprits were arraigned on April 13, 2025. Five men and two women were held in custody as police investigated.
After a raid, authorities confiscated items including "10 Changfang mining machines, two unregistered PNE and Apsonic tricycles, and four motorbikes," MyJoyOnline reported.
This illegal mining crackdown is part of structured efforts to protect local waterways. The Black Volta River runs through Burkina Faso for over 800 miles (over 1,300 kilometers) before merging with the White Volta River in Ghana. Residents have complained about encroachment and water pollution linked to these mining activities.
The illegal gold mining, also known as galamsey, per the BBC, has turned a once vibrant river brown. As a result, livelihoods are at risk, particularly the fishing industry, since the pollution has reduced the fish population, per the Fourth Estate.
People are also finding it difficult to access clean water reliably.
"This is also our only source of drinking water, so you can imagine the health hazards we are exposed to," local washer and mother of five Rose Morklah told The Fourth Estate.
While the planet's surface is over 70% water, most of it isn't drinkable due to its salt content, NASA explained. Polluted fresh water poses a health risk to people and wildlife.
According to Unicef, Ghana's water access has improved, but at least 11% of people drink from unsafe sources, while one in 10 people must travel at least 30 minutes away to find a suitable source.
Contaminated drinking water in Ghana has exposed locals to waterborne diseases like diarrhea, cholera, and dysentery, a study published in the journal Water, shared by MDPI, observed.
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Never 👎 Illegal mining isn't a problem that authorities and locals can afford to ignore anywhere. A Canadian mining company faced a fine of over $114,750 for dumping cobalt waste into a local river.
Over in Nagpur, India, police seized over $7,000 in excavation tools after arresting a man mining sand from a river.
In the United States, mining sites have been found dumping millions of gallons of water contaminated with lead and arsenic into nearby streams and ponds, the Associated Press reported in 2019.
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