The Ho West District Assembly, on Monday, 27th January 2025, has organized a stakeholders’ consultative meeting to deliberate on and review sand-winning activities in the district.
In his welcome address, the District Coordinating Director, Mr. Wisdom Kporngor, stated that the meeting aimed to provide an overview of sand-winning activities in the district, assess the extent of these operations, identify potential environmental and social impacts, and develop actionable recommendations for sustainable management.
Mr. Kporngor emphasized the importance of enforcing stricter regulations and implementing monitoring mechanisms for sand-winning activities. He also highlighted the need for strict adherence to laws to mitigate the associated environmental and social impacts.
During the meeting, various topics of importance were discussed including:
* The lack of registration of earth-moving equipment used in sand-winning operations, which hampers effective regulation and monitoring.
* The importance of land reclamation after sand-winning activities to restore the environment and prevent long-term degradation.
* The need for specific operational hours to minimize disturbances to communities and ensure orderly processes.
* The implementation of rotational work plans to manage resources efficiently and ensure fairness in operations.
* Developing effective revenue collection strategies to benefit the district.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders, including all sand-winning contractors in Ho West, the Chairman of the Tipper Trucks Owners Association, the Chairman of Sand Winners Contractors, the National Association of Sand and Stone Workers, the Chairman of NASSWOTTU (Ho), the Zonal Director of the Minerals Commission (Ho), the Regional Director of the EPA (Ho), the Chairman of the Tipper Trucks Owners Association (Hohoe), security agecies, and Heads of Departments/units
The stakeholders’ consultation meeting underscored the urgent need for collaborative efforts to address the challenges associated with sand-winning activities in the Ho West District.
Source: ISD, HO WEST DISTRICT
