The Densu River, stretching 116 km from the Atiwa Forest to the Weija Dam, is facing severe degradation due to intensified irresponsible mining activities in several communities.A built-up of illegal mining in areas such as Potrase, Odumase, and Apedwa Obuase within the Abuakwa South Municipality has devastated the vital waterways, which support approximately three million residents from the Akyem area.
The Densu River, which flows through Potrase, Nankese, Abisim, Apedwa, Nsawam, and Adeiso before emptying into the Weija Dam in Accra, has been severely impacted and transformed into a milky sludge devoid of life, posing a significant threat to both human and aquatic ecosystems.
From an aerial perspective, during an investigation by the Ghana News Agency, extensive cocoa farmlands have also been devastated while the buffer zone surrounding the Densu River has been obliterated, with illegal miners wreaking havoc across arable land equivalent to 15 football fields, all while operating without accountability.
The frightening situation has prompted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to demand collaborative action and swift legal reforms to immediately stop the menace, restore the ecosystem, and safeguard human and aquatic life.