Birim Central: 50k trees to be planted to reclaim degraded lands in Akyem Gyadam

About 50,000 trees are expected to be planted over a 10-square-kilometer area of degraded mine sites at Akyem Gyadam, a farming and mining community in the Birim Central Municipality, as part of efforts to reclaim and rejuvenate the degraded lands.

Dredging and desilting works will also be carried out along the polluted Birim River by the Birim Central Municipal Assembly, National Disaster Management Organisation, and Partners of Nature Africa,Ohakk 2 Consults,Jatropha Africa and Dream Shapers foundation who are spearheading the reclamation and rejuvenation of the degraded lands and polluted river.

Speaking to journalists during the official launch of the reclamation and rejuvenation project at Akyem Gyadam on Wednesday October 22, the leader of the team Amofa Foster, described the degradation in the enclave as devastating and called on residents to act as whistleblowers to help report people polluting water bodies and degrading arable lands.

“The kind of degradation here is very terrible, we have visited more than 10 areas and the devastation is very high, the rivers have been encroached on and about 10 kilometer square of land has been destroyed by the illegal miners as captured by our drone.”

“Our machines are coming in from tomorrow to start the reclamation, we will do dredging and desilting along the river beds and then we will plant some 50,000 trees along the river banks.”

Amofa Foster was, however, quick to add that Ghana as a country cannot end illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, but can support the proper measures being put in place by President John Dramani Mahama to manage the menace.

“It’s not possible for us to stop galamsey, let’s be honest and call a spade a spade, mining has come to stay so we must put in place proper measures like President John Dramani Mahama is doing and support him to succeed.”

On his part, the Municipal Chief Executive for Birim Central, Solomon Brako Kusi, who lauded the initiative as a step in the right direction, affirmed his commitment to consistently support the fight against illegal mining by collaborating with the traditional authorities and all stakeholders in the municipality.