A former Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission, has called for ultra-careful evaluation of Appiatse community, before its inhabitants are sent back to their homes.
Dr. Tony Aubynn’s concerns on Angel FM’s Anopa Bofoↄ show Monday, came on the back of environmental challenges explosives have been known to generate over the years, from similar occurrences in parts of the world.
On January 20, 2022, Appiatse, a suburb of Bogoso in the Western Region was razed after explosives being conveyed to a mining site in the region went off.
The explosion is reported to have caused the death of some 13 lives leaving 59 victims in critical condition while several others have sustained various degrees of injuries.
The community, as has been confirmed by the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) Coordinator in Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality of the Western Region, Francis Abeiku Yankah, has been rendered uninhabitable.
“As we speak the community is dead, it cannot be inhabited by anyone” said the Coordinator in an interview with 3news monitored by Angelonline.com.gh.
Statistics to that effect according to the Ghana Police Service shows that some 3,084 people have been displaced.
Currently, the people are taking refuge in tents provided by the Government through NADMO, and some private individuals and groups who have extended helping hands to them, while others have relocated to live with relatives in adjoining communities.
In light of this, questions have been asked whether or not the victims of the explosion would be resettled in the land considering the health implications, despite Government’s effort to support them and rebuild the community.
According to the United Nation Environmental Programme (UNEP), Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA) have the potential to cause problems such as “generation of huge volumes of debris and waste, and the release of hazardous materials such as asbestos, industrial chemicals and fuels”.
“Additionally, damage to industrial facilities can result in chemical spills and land and water contamination, while damage to water supply and wastewater sanitation facilities or the collapse of solid waste infrastructure can result in pollution,” the UNEP added in a post titled “Environmental legacy of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas”.
Specific on health, the post said when the explosives cause damage to wastewater and drinking water supply systems. it leads to “contamination and poses serious environmental health impacts”.
In this regard, Dr. Aubynn said it is imperative that the state understands what happened in the community by critically examining the environment, to ascertain its suitability for residential use.
“These are explosives so there will be the occurrence of some radioactivity. [Therefore] there must be checks to ensure that living there will not pose challenges to the people in the aftermath”
He cautioned authorities involved against sloppy works saying, “they should not come out and say ‘we have cleared the area of the debris and weeded it so the people can return to community’.
“The community is farming-oriented hence there is the likelihood that a farmer will grow crops in the land which may not be healthy.”
