The Ministry of Railway Development is expressing concern about the activities of illegal miners affecting the construction of sections of the Western Railway line from Nsuta to the Takoradi Port.
The Ministry laments that the contractor on the project has been forced to reconstruct certain sections already completed due to excavations. Additionally, there is a need to clean up more silt left by miners in drains and reclaim land deteriorated by the illegal miners.
Responding to questions in Parliament on Tuesday, the Minister for Railway Development, Peter Amewu, remarked that such practices are costing the government millions of dollars and compromising the structural integrity of the railway formation.
“It is our expectation to complete the connection between Nsuta and the Takoradi Port by the end of 2024 for the haulage of manganese to the port. However, the project is facing serious challenges from the activities of illegal miners along the railway corridor.
“Illegal miners are excavating within a few meters from the newly constructed railway lines, compromising the structural integrity of the railway formation. This is causing additional significant costs to the project, and in some instances, the contractor had to reconstruct certain sections already completed, clean up more silt left by the miners in drains and culverts, and reclaim land deteriorated through illegal mining, which is costing the government millions of dollars.”
