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The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has launched a surprise enforcement operation in the Amansie Central District to clamp down on shops selling Changfan mining machines and other equipment used for illegal mining in Ghana’s rivers.
The operation, led by EPA Chief Executive Officer Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, is part of ongoing efforts to combat river pollution and enforce the government’s ban on all forms of mining in water bodies.
During an unannounced swoop on one major hub suspected of supplying the prohibited machinery, Prof. Browne Klutse revealed that a Chinese-owned shop was found selling Changfan machines, motors, and other accessories used in river mining.
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“We have seen that the owner is a Chinese national, and they are selling Changfan machines, motors, and other parts used for mining in our river bodies,” she said. “It’s illegal to sell these floating machines. Mining in our river bodies is prohibited, and the EPA is here to close down the shops and other businesses that support this activity.”
Prof. Browne Klutse noted that some operators attempt to disguise their trade under the pretext of selling agricultural machinery, but investigations by the EPA have confirmed that most of the equipment is used primarily for illegal river mining.
“They hide under the disguise that their machines are also used for agricultural purposes. But we clearly know that, especially in this area, they are used for mining in our water bodies,” she explained.
She further disclosed that the shop had no valid EPA permit to sell such equipment, warning that the Agency would not license any entity dealing in machinery that supports illegal mining operations.
“As we try to clean our water bodies and stop mining in rivers, we cannot allow shops that supply the tools used for the same illegal act,” Prof. Browne Klutse added.
The EPA boss reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting Ghana’s natural environment and said enforcement operations would be intensified across other mining hotspots.
Changfan machines—floating dredgers commonly used in illegal mining (galamsey)—have been identified as a major cause of siltation and pollution in rivers such as the Pra, Offin, and Ankobra.
The EPA’s latest operation forms part of a renewed national drive to restore Ghana’s degraded river systems and dismantle illegal mining supply chains that threaten the country’s water resources and ecosystems.
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