The 62-member Galamstop taskforce was inaugurated by the sector Minister, Prof Frimpong Boateng, at Kwabeng in the Eastern Region.
He indicated that the decision has become necessary to ensure that the Birim River is protected from illegal miners.
Members of the new taskforce were trained in diving at the Asutuare military base and also equipped with speed boats to patrol the Birim River and its tributaries.
“We are here to outdoor the Galamstop taskforce who are to ensure the pollution in the Birim River is stopped. These are 62 men selected from these areas and have been trained in diving also after receiving some military training in Asutuare,” the Minister said.
“We have bought some boats for them with outboard motors which they will use to patrol the Birim River and its tributaries to ensure that people do not mine in the water for the river to be clear and regain its natural state.”
“We also met the miners and I have told them to be disciplined so that the Birim River will be cleared. This is a very important region because the president hails from this region, Okyehene also hails from here so we want to make sure we keep rivers here very clean.”
Prof Frimpong Boateng was, however, quick to add that there are still challenges with stopping illegal mining in some parts of the country.
He explained that it will be difficult to have 24-hour surveillance despite the inauguration of the Galamstop taskforce to augment the Operation Vanguard team.
“The Galamstop taskforce is to complement the efforts of Operation Vanguard. We have gotten rid of a lot of excavators, foreigners have also been deported, and the numbers have reduced but there are still some challenges as some young men with gold detecting devices go to the forest to mine.
“And these are new challenges we are going to deal with. So we are going to modify our tactics but we cannot have 24-hour surveillance. We are going to ensure that people do not mine close to the water bodies and we are going to have assistance using the drones,” the Minister added.