A joint anti-galamsey task force, led by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), has launched a successful operation to restore the natural flow of River Pra in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The operation, part of the government's "Operation Water Shield" initiative, targeted sites at Adiemra and Tweapease in the Adansi South District. The task force discovered stretches of the river diverted, silted, and polluted due to illegal mining activities.
The operation, which took place on Monday, resulted in the seizure of 10 excavators and the destruction of several pumping machines. NAIMOS deployed its team to the Ashanti-Central regional boundary area, moving through Subriso, where miners were found working close to wetlands near the main road. The task force halted the activity before continuing further along the river to Adiemra and Tweapease.
At Adiemra, officials found mining operations running right up to the Pra, with river water being drawn directly into processing activities. Pumping machines were discovered positioned inside the river itself. A man at the Adiemra site, arrested during the operation, claimed the mining operation belonged to Alhaji Shaibu Iddi and that it held the necessary licences. However, NAIMOS officials said the documents presented did not authorise mining at that particular location.
The damage was described as even more extensive at Tweapease, where mining activity had reportedly redirected the river's course entirely. Sections of the Pra there were found heavily silted and polluted, with mining waste entering the waterway at multiple points. NAIMOS proceeded to shut down operations at the site, seizing the 10 excavators and destroying pumping equipment found at both Adiemra and Tweapease.
Farmers in the affected communities reportedly welcomed the intervention, voicing hope that continued enforcement could help the river recover and protect their farmland. The operation forms part of a widening crackdown on galamsey, with stakeholders raising concerns about the impact of illegal mining on the environment and local livelihoods.
The Pra operation adds to a string of recent actions and commentary around galamsey enforcement. Earlier this year, stakeholders raised concerns that only one of six foreign mining firms operating in Ahafo held a valid permit. Security experts have also pressed Ghana to develop a homegrown security strategy to beat illegal mining rather than relying solely on periodic raids.
NAIMOS has said Operation Water Shield will move into its next phase, with the task force expected to sustain enforcement along the Pra and other major water bodies. The stakes are practical for communities along the Pra, as polluted and diverted river water affects drinking water sources, fishing, and farming in districts that depend on the waterway.
Key points
- NAIMOS seized 10 excavators and destroyed pumping machines in a raid on illegal mining sites blocking River Pra's flow.
- The operation is part of the government's "Operation Water Shield" initiative to protect Ghana's major rivers and water bodies from illegal mining activity.
- The crackdown aims to restore the natural flow of River Pra and protect local livelihoods.
