Livelihoods of 35,000 farmers in danger as illegal mining pollutes river bodies

Illegal mining in the Shama District is pushing over 35,000 farmers to the brink of losing their livelihoods. The once-dependable Whin River, which has long served as the main source of water for irrigation, is now heavily polluted, threatening both agriculture and the survival of local farmers.

The once-clean river, which supports an irrigation facility built in 2010 for rice farming in Ohiamadwen, is now dangerously polluted. Fearing health risks, farmers have shut down the facility, crippling agricultural activity in the area.

Among those that are hardest hit is Papa Ansah Mills, a rice farmer who owns 45 acres of farmland in Ohiamadwen.

Due to the polluted water, he now has to transport clean water from town to irrigate his rice crop, a process that costs him GHC400 per trip.

“This pollution is crippling my business, we have a river, but we can’t use it because it is heavily polluted with mercury, so am afraid using. So whenever I have to water my rice l have to hire ‘ aboboya’ which is very costly” he said, describing the financial burden it has placed on him and many others.

The situation has had a significant impact on local food production.

Wepia Awal Adugwala, National President of the Peasant Farmers Association, pointed out that rice and vegetable yields in the district have sharply declined.

“The contamination of water bodies from neighboring districts upstream, which feed into the
district’s rivers, is a major concern as farmers are now forced to rely on rain, limiting their planting to once a year this really affecting their yield”.

The menace of illegal mining is affecting vegetable production in the district, stressing, “vegetable farmers in over 10
communities, who cultivate along the Pra River’s tributaries, have been rendered helpless and unproductive due to their inability to access water for their crops.”

 

Adugwala went on to reveal that Shama’s predicament is not unique, noting that other mining districts face similar threats due to illegal mining.

 

He warned that if the issue is not addressed, farming could become extinct in the region.

“Without decisive action, the future of farming here is in jeopardy,” he stated, calling for stronger government intervention.

To combat this growing threat, Adugwala urged the government to declare a state of emergency in mining districts and halt all mining activities near water bodies, forests , and farmlands.

He also emphasized the need for an inclusive approach, recommending that local stakeholders, including the Peasant Farmers Association, be actively involved in the fight against illegal mining.

 

Illegal mining on water bodies is taking a toll on more than just peasant farmers in the Shama district, it’s now crippling the local rice production industry.

Businesses in the rice production chain, particularly in Ohiamadwen, are feeling the pinch as declining rice yields reduce the amount of rice available for rice millers to process, threatening their livelihoods.

They say “because the rice farmers are not producing much due to illegal mining activities in rivers it has also affected business, at first we use to wake up at dawn to come and pad rice but it is not so this time because the farmers are not producing much rice for us to process, our business is going down”.

As illegal mining continues to devastate the environment, the livelihoods of thousands of farmers in Shama hang in the balance.

The urgency for action has never been greater, with calls growing for the government to step up efforts to protect these communities and restore the polluted river.