An aspiring Ashanti Regional organiser of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM), Alexander Kwaku Oppong, has called on the government to compel illegal miners to reclaim degraded lands before leaving mining sites, warning that abandoned pits pose serious dangers to communities.

Mr Oppong argued that the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, should go beyond burning or confiscating mining equipment to include measures that restore damaged land and prevent further harm to residents.

“It is unfortunate that operators are often chased away without being made to reclaim the land. These abandoned sites can become dangerous death traps,” he said.

According to him, removing illegal miners from a site without addressing the environmental damage leaves communities exposed to hazards long after mining activities have stopped.

He also questioned the approach of allowing degraded lands to remain unattended in some areas while the government commits significant resources to reclaiming other damaged sites.

Mr Oppong believes that making illegal miners responsible for restoring the land they have damaged would help address the environmental consequences of galamsey while ensuring that affected communities are not left to bear the risks.

He pledged that, if elected as Ashanti Regional organiser of GNASSM, he would encourage responsible mining practices and promote land reclamation among members of the association.

He further urged small-scale miners who are not members of GNASSM to join the association, arguing that wider membership could support efforts to regulate mining activities and encourage greater responsibility within the sector.

His proposal comes amid persistent concerns about the environmental and public safety consequences of illegal mining in Ghana, including degraded landscapes, polluted water bodies and abandoned excavations that can endanger people and livestock.

Requiring operators to reclaim mined-out or damaged areas could make land restoration a more central part of efforts to combat illegal mining. However, effective implementation would require clear reclamation obligations, monitoring and enforcement to ensure that affected sites are properly restored.