Three prominent environmental and anti-mining advocacy groups, A Rocha Ghana, Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey and Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape, have condemned the alleged illegal attempt to divert the Birim River at Apapam in the Eastern Region.
The groups have called for tougher punitive action including prosecution of the culprits, to deter others from making a similar illegal approach.
In a joint statement, the groups described the act as an assault on Ghana's natural heritage and a blatant disregard for environmental laws.
The groups claim that a mining company, linked to one Emmanuel Gamah of Kwabeng, has allegedly excavated trenches and constructed a diversion channel to redirect the river, destroying a three-year-old ecological restoration site in the process.
