Obuasi, Nov. 22, GNA - Journalists from selected media houses in Accra on Saturday had a tour of the Sansu Underground mine in Obuasi. The tour was part of a programme organized by the Ghana Chamber of Mines to enable members of the media have first-hand information on the operations of some mining firms in Ghana.

The group had earlier visited Tarkwa and Nsuta to see and learnt about surface mining activities as well as tour rehabilitated places in the mines. The journalists dressed in safety clothing went several metres underground and saw some rocks lined with gold. The underground also had a refrigerating plant that cooled the place and make it a bit comfortable for workers.

Mr. Fred Atta Kuma, Acting Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, said the mine was the only one, currently engaged in a major and active underground mining in the country. He said the mine was engaged in many community works as part of their corporate social responsibility and mentioned among others the Malaria Control programme initiated by the mine about three years ago. "We have achieved an almost 80 percent reduction in Malaria cases and our programme is being replicated in some parts of the country. It has been a success story."

Mr. Atta Kuma however, expressed worry about the activities of illegal miners or galamsey operators and noted that there had been a rapid upsurge in the activities of galamsey operators in the municipality and other parts of the country where mining was done.

Describing the galamsey activities as a crisis, he said the illegal mining operations these days seemed rather organized and it looked like there are financiers behind the operations.

He called on government to meet with stakeholders and address the problem holistically to avoid a disaster.

"The cost of galamsey operations to the Obuasi mine cannot be quantified in monetary terms at all," Mr Atta Kuma said.

Mr. Ahmed Nantogmah, Director of Public Affairs and Environment at the Ghana Chamber of Mines, said the chamber had held series of meetings with small scale miners to identify their problems and expressed hope that together they could find a solution to the illegal mining activities.