Non-governmental organisation, Arocha Ghana, has intensified its call on government not to mine in the Atewa Forest as it joined the international community to commemorate World Water Day on Saturday.

The NGO, as part of the celebration of the Day, has begun a six day walk on Saturday, March 17, from Sagyimase to Kyebi with the aim of journeying from the Eastern region to the Flagstaff House, in Accra, on Thursday, March 22, to present a petition to the presidency.

Arocha Ghana has in the past months been kicking against government’s plans to mine bauxite in the Atewa Forest, in the Eastern region. The forest is said to be targeted as part of areas to be mined for bauxite in government’s $15 billion deal with the Chinese in a bid to develop an integrated aluminum industry.

A statement released by Arocha Ghana says “the prime objective of the walk is to mobilize and rally citizen action to compel government to rescind plans to mine bauxite within the Atewa Forest Reserve, due to its vital water provisioning services for over 5 million people in Ghana.”

The theme for this year’s World Water Day is “Nature for Water” with a particular focus on highlighting the importance of nature-based solutions to addressing the water challenges in the 21st Century.