C/R: Denkyira roads risk destruction through galamsey – Feeder Roads

The Central Region Department of Feeder Roads has issued a stark warning about the looming destruction of critical road infrastructure in the Upper Denkyira East and West Districts due to illegal mining activities.

According to the Department, the destructive and perilous galamsey practices, were being done close to highways and feeder roads, threatening their structural integrity and usability.

Mr Abudulai Braimah, the Regional Director of the Department, said the sad spectacle was mind boggling considering the vast devastation of arable topsoil washed down from uphill galamsey sites and deposited meters from major highways.

He said the deep gullies and deep craters of stagnant water created by illegal miners near major roads did not only compromise road safety but destabilised the ground beneath those critical transport routes.

That, he said, could escalate road maintenance expenses as the Department already lacked the funds to complete about 52 stalled road projects in the region.

The Regional Director of Feeder Roads made the observations when Mr Eduamoah Ekow Panyin Okyere, the Central Regional Minister paid a working visit to the Department on Wednesday.

The Minister, accompanied by the officials at the Regional Coordinating Council including the Acting Regional Coordinating Director, Mr Bless Darkeh sought to familiarise himself with their work to engender a collective effort to develop the region.

Subsequently, the Minister and his entourage visited other institutions, including the Cape Coast Technical University and the Department of Urban Roads, Highways, and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

At the Department of Urban Roads, Mr Jacob Nelson, the Regional Director lamented about the lack of logistics to discharge their duties effectively.

He appealed to the Regional Minister for support in completing the ongoing regional office complex, which would help reduce the high costs associated with renting office spaces.

Mrs Mercy Payne, the Regional Director of Highway expressed similar logistical constraints but worried over the growing issue of road reserve encroachment.

The problem involved the construction of unauthorised structures and activities on public road spaces, leading to unsafe road conditions, increased maintenance expenses and reduced space for future infrastructure expansion.

She said the road encroachments obstruct visibility, create safety risks for users, and complicate road expansion efforts and called for stricter enforcement of regulations, proactive inspections, and public awareness campaigns to curb illegal activities and preserve road reserves for their intended purposes.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFOII) Merinda Mary Attigah-Mensah, Regional Commander of GNFS, expressed gratitude for the visit and emphasised the urgent need for logistical support.

She lamented the challenges posed by outdated equipment, insufficient personal protective gears, and the lack of office spaces in some districts, which hinder their ability to effectively respond to fire outbreaks.

Despite these obstacles, ACFOII Attigah-Mensah reaffirmed the GNFS’s unwavering commitment to intensify fire safety education, support fire volunteers, conduct routine monitoring of special installations, particularly markets and promote public awareness on fire prevention strategies.

At all the separate fora, the Central Regional Minister encouraged personnel not to be overwhelmed by workplace challenges but to maintain professionalism and integrity in their duties.

He pledged the Regional Coordinating Council’s support and urged them to actively participate in the monthly clean-up exercises aimed at combating filth and preventing cholera outbreaks in the region.

Source: Isaac Arkoh