The Ghana Water Company says chiefs hold the key to ending the destruction of critical water sources through illegal mining activities.

As the world marked World Water Day on Wednesday, the destruction of Ghana’s water bodies due to pollution through illegal mining activities fell under the spotlight.

The Ghana Water Company revealed that almost every major source of water has either dropped low or is heavily polluted to the point where the company currently uses high quantities of chemicals to purify the water before pumping to homes.

This has translated into high water tariffs.

In some instances, however, especially water sources close to gold-rich areas, the level of pollution has destroyed aquatic life and the ecosystem.

During a discussion on current affairs programme, PM Express, on the Joy News channel on MultiTV Wednesday, Communications Director of Ghana Water Company, Stanley Martey, said a single word from chiefs is all it takes to end the troubling situation.

“I know that in Ghana we revere our chiefs so much so that if our chiefs speak everything ceases – it is obeyed to the letter. So that if our chiefs are going to say that within our jurisdiction we won’t allow [illegal mining] activities or any other activity that would pollute our river bodies that would cease,” he said.

He revealed that a dialogue between the water company and chiefs of Konongo, a gold and manganese mining community located in Ashanti, has yielded tremendous results.

“I hope that as I am using Konongo the chiefs in Konongo will be proud of themselves and not go back to what they have stopped,” Mr Martey said.