Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has expressed concern about the increasing destruction of water bodies through illegal mining and urged all to act together to restore sanity.

He said Ghana was at risk of losing its water resources and stakeholders could simply not afford to be either indecisive or fail to take responsibility.

He said this when he inaugurated a small town water project at Ofoase near Banso in the Asante-Akim South District.

The Deputy Minister described as frightening the scale of havoc unleashed on the environment by the recklessness of illegal miners.

He said what he found even more disturbing were reports that some farmers were selling their farmlands and cocoa farms to the miners to dig for gold.

He appealed to such people to rethink their actions and refuse to allow temporary financial gains to worsen an already bad situation, evidenced in the country’s erratic rainfall pattern.

Nii Lante Vanderpuye appealed to traditional rulers and land owners not to give land for illicit mining operation to help preserve the nation’s natural resources and protect the environment.

He said the government alone could not win the battle against illegal mining and would require the active support of everybody.