The government is collaborating with the Small-Scale Mining Sector (SSMS)to sanitize the industry to ensure responsible mining in local mining communities.

The aim is to prevent the pollution of water bodies, forest, soil and other natural resources while helping to protect the natural forest to achieve a healthy environment for a good future.

Mr. George Mireku Duker, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, stated this at the inauguration of a community mining scheme at Adukrom in the Ahafo Ano South-East District of Ashanti.

The community mining scheme is an initiative by the government to create thousands of new jobs in mining communities, while tackling illegal mining that led to the destruction of water bodies and other natural resources.

Mr. Duker said green mining technology would be adopted and used by the community miners as a way of protecting human lives and healthy environment.

The ‘Gold Catcher machine’ would be used by the miners to help recover about 95 percent of gold from the soil without the use of mercury.

He said District Mining Committees formed together with technical officers from the Minerals Commission would visit mining sites to monitor their activities to ensure responsible mining.

Mr. Joseph Agyeman Dapaah, District Chief Executive (DCE) Ahafo Ano South-East District said it was the priority of the government to ensure development in the area and the Community Mining scheme had provided employment for many youth in the community.

The Deputy Minister, in related development, also commissioned the Ghana Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) Task force to help monitor and prevent some major river bodies such as Offin, Oda, Birim and Tano from pollution.

He urged members of the taskforce not to compromise their activities in any form, and work to ensure that their members worked in accordance with international standards and best practices to help protect the environment for all.

Mr. Sampson Wiredu, Vice-President of the Association of Small Scale Miners, in Charge of the Task Force, pledged their preparedness to bring sanity in the operations of the small scale mining sector.