– Operators in sand winning activities in the Ketu South Municipality have taken steps to restore land that had been mined to its original form.
The members of Tipper Truck Owners and Drivers Association (TTODA), Ketu South had contributed money to procure services of heavy-duty machinery to level the land, make it suitable for post-mining use and reduce environmental effects that could arise.
Mr Epiphany Klutsey, Chairman of the Association speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during a visit to some sites at Adikukope, Klikor undergoing the reclamation exercise, said the decision to reclaim the land among others, was to establish goodwill with the Assembly and the people.
He said authorities including security agencies and the Minerals Commission had lately been on their necks on documentation noting, until recently, they had no idea one had to acquire legal document to engage in their activities for they thought the land belonged to owners and so once they purchased the land or had an agreement with the owners, they were free to operate.
Mr Klutsey said though members were working on acquiring documentation, the Association planned on meeting with the Assembly to ask for leniency for the current ban on sand winning in the Municipality to be lifted to enable them to work to raise money to continue to finance the reclamation exercise on the about 25-30 acres of land which he described as quite expensive.
“We realised we were operating illegally and so to make up for that, we opted to carry out the project and then levied ourselves for it. We intend to appeal to the Assembly to allow us to be working in order to get money for the project.
“In about four days of the ongoing exercise, we’ve spent about GH¢50,000.00. We have five machines on-site working and paying for their services is expensive. Besides, individuals and organisations need sand for one project or the other.”
Mr Maxwell Koffie Lugudor, Municipal Chief Executive of Ketu South said the ban on sand mining activities was to ensure the right thing was done because illegal activities were destroying the land and “that’s not the way to go.”
He said, “no one has a legal document in Ketu South” permitting their operations thus, advised them to contact the Minerals Commission for the right document saying, with the regulation in place, “you win and reclaim.”
Mr Lugudor said the Assembly together with the Association was in talks with the Forestry Commission to plant trees on the reclaimed land for restoration of productive ecosystems.
Mr Michael Kwakuga Fianu, Assistant District Manager for Sogakope-Denu Forest District of the Forestry Commission in an interview with the GNA said the discussion on the land reclamation was welcoming news and disclosed his outfit’s readiness to provide seedlings, labour and expertise to support the project.
“The land reclamation project is important because it will save the environment, enrich the land, turn non-arable land into an agrarian land for food production or tree planting on the land for carbon sequestration.”
Source: Ghana News Agency