The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, has raised alarm over the worsening condition of the Birim River, attributing the deterioration to illegal mining activities in the area.
Dr Agyemang said the river’s average turbidity has risen to approximately 50,000 NTU, while the Ghana Water Company Limited’s water treatment plant serving the area has remained shut since August 2025.
The MP disclosed this after paying a working visit to the Birim River with the District Manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited in Kibi to assess the impact of illegal mining on the river and water treatment operations.
According to Dr Agyemang, the condition of the river poses a serious threat to access to clean water for communities that depend on it.
He said the situation had compelled him to begin a live media tour of illegal mining sites across the Abuakwa South Constituency to bring the extent of the environmental destruction to public attention.
The MP said the exercise would also seek to demand accountability from those responsible for activities affecting the river and surrounding communities.
Dr Agyemang called for urgent and coordinated action to halt illegal mining, protect the Birim River and facilitate the restoration of water treatment operations.
He stressed that access to clean water remained essential to the affected communities and warned that continued degradation of the river could have consequences for future generations.
“The Birim is our lifeline. We cannot afford to lose it,” he said.
