A retired media practitioner in Tarkwa, Western Region, Toni Nkrumah-Boateng, has raised alarm over the worsening water crisis in the town, revealing that its only water treatment plant has been non-operational for about a month due to illegal mining activities. Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Mr. Nkrumah-Boateng described the situation as “quite dire,” noting that the destruction of the Bonsa River by illegal miners, popularly known as galamseyers, has made it impossible for the Ghana Water Company to treat and supply potable water. “I live in a suburb called Akyepim, close to the Bonsa River Works, which supplies our water. For the past month, there hasn’t been any flow of water through our pipes, even though we are very close to the water works. So, just imagine those who live further away,” he said. He explained that illegal miners have virtually taken over the Bonsa River, digging directly into it to extract gold and destroying the water source in the process. “They simply do not have raw water to extract. Galamseyers have taken over the Bonsa River. They are digging deep into the river to extract gold under the water. They virtually have to destroy everything to get the gold they are looking for,” he lamented. Mr. Nkrumah-Boateng warned that Tarkwa is sacrificing its only reliable water source for gold, emphasizing that residents’ health and livelihoods are now at serious risk. “So, we are sacrificing our water source in Tarkwa because of gold activities, particularly galamsey activities on the Bonsa River,” he said.
Deploying soldiers can shut down Tarkwa’s economy
Meanwhile, Mr. Nkrumah-Boateng has cautioned against the deployment of the military to combat illegal mining in the Western Region, warning that such a move could cripple the entire local economy. His remarks follow an announcement by the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications and MP for Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, that the government will permanently station the military in all areas affected by illegal mining. “All the 44 areas that are threatened by galamsey, there is going to be a permanent military presence,” he disclosed in an interview on Channel One TV’s Face to Face. Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Mr Nkrumah-Boateng argued that mining—both legal and illegal—has become so entrenched in Tarkwa and surrounding communities that military intervention would effectively shut down the town. “Getting the military to Tarkwa to fight galamsey is going to be very difficult. The economy has been tailored in such a way that it is so dependent on mining activities,” he said. He explained that illegal mining is visible everywhere in the enclave, stretching from Tarkwa through Nsuaso to Bonso, and has become the dominant source of livelihood. “If you want to bring in military men, then you will have to shut the whole town down,” he cautioned. “There are mining organisations here in Tarkwa, but how many people can they employ at a time. A lot of the people who do not have access to the mines also have to live, and that is the activities they have been involved in.” Mr. Nkrumah-Boateng’s remarks come as the impact of galamsey continues to bite hard, with Tarkwa’s only water treatment plant shut down for a month due to heavy pollution, forcing residents to rely on costly private water providers. He warned that while the environmental devastation is alarming, the heavy reliance of the local economy on mining makes the issue far more complex than a military solution.