Intervene to save Atronsu River from destruction - EPA, Water Resources Commission told

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ghana Water Resources Commission have been urged to intervene urgently to protect the Atronsu River from potential devastation caused by the operations of the Ghana Bauxite Company (GBC).

Atronsu, a vibrant farming community nestled within the Bibiani/Anhwiaso/Bekwai Municipality of the Western North Region, has long depended on the purity of its namesake river, Nana Atronsu, for sustenance and livelihood.

However, recent findings from a two-day evidence-gathering visit by the Environment Report have unveiled a looming threat to the river's integrity. The relentless expansion efforts of the Ghana Bauxite Company, particularly its plans to extend operations into the Atronsu Hills, pose a significant risk to the river's well-being.

According to the Environment Report, the proposed extension project, if executed, could lead to the contamination of the pristine Atronsu River with red dust from construction activities, especially during heavy rainfall. This pollution threatens the primary source of clean drinking water for over 10,000 residents in communities such as Ampekrom, Gyapongkrom, and Atronsu, including the staff quarters of the GBC.

Despite the critical importance of the Atronsu River to the local populace, residents lament that the management of the Bauxite Company has neglected to engage them in discussions regarding the expansion project, exacerbating fears for the river's future.

In light of these concerns, the Environment Report has called upon the EPA and the Ghana Water Resources Commission to intervene promptly. The agencies are urged to summon the management of the Ghana Bauxite Company and initiate thorough investigations into the proposed expansion project at the Atronsu Hills.

“The Environment Report is therefore calling on the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ghana Water Resources Commission to immediately call the management of the Ghana Bauxite Company to order.

“They should immediately commence investigations into the expansion project of the Ghana Bauxite Company at the Atronsu Hills to ensure that the Atronsu River is protected,” the Environment Report noted in a press release dated March 20, 2024.

Read the full release below:

The Environment Report
For Immediate Release

20/03/2024

EPA and Water Resources Commission must intervene to protect Atronsu River from destruction by the Ghana Bauxite Company

Atronsu, a farming community in the Bibiani/Anhwiaso/Bekwai Municipality of the Western North Region has thrived for generations, sustained by the purity of its river called Nana Atronsu.

However, following a two-day evidence-gathering visit by the Environment Report, it was discovered that, the clean water now finds itself at the mercy of an imminent threat – with the relentless operation of the Ghana Bauxite Company (GBC) in the area, casting a dark shadow over the future of their precious water resources.

The Ghana Bauxite Company as our visit revealed intends to extend its operations to the Atronsu Hills creating a new path as part of the preparation for the extension project.

But, beneath the proposed site for the extension project lies the pristine river Atronsu facing the threat of pollution as the red dust from the construction work is already contaminating the water anytime it rains heavily.

The Atronsu River is the main supply of good drinking water for more than 10,000 people serving communities such as Ampekrom, Gyapongkrom, and Atronsu, including the staff quarters of the GBC.

For years, the residents in the area have relied on the pristine waters of their local stream for drinking, cooking, and bathing as well as supporting their agriculture and sustaining the delicate ecological balance of the area.

The aggrieved residents told the Environment Report that, the management of the Bauxite Company has failed to engage them in their expansion project even though it is very clear that, the river which defines their livelihood will be badly affected.

With the threat of the destruction of the river by the Ghana Bauxite Company looming large, it is imperative that, state institutions tasked to protect water bodies immediately intervene to save the affected communities.

The Environment Report is therefore calling on the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ghana Water Resources Commission to immediately call the management of the Ghana Bauxite Company to order.

They should immediately commence investigations into the expansion project of the Ghana Bauxite Company at the Atronsu Hills to ensure that the Atronsu River is protected.

Water is not only a resource to be used and competed over – it is a human right, intrinsic to every aspect of life and the pristine Atronsu River must be protected to continue to serve the people.