Illegal mining activities have caused severe damage to a three-kilometre stretch of the Nsuta portion of the Takoradi–Akyem railway line, disrupting a key transport route and threatening nearby communities.
According to reports, the miners are using a method known locally as “one leg” — a dangerous technique that involves using a large water hose and high-pressure pump to wash away soil after excavation with heavy machinery.
The illegal operation has weakened the railway foundation, leaving parts of the line unsafe for transport. Residents and environmentalists have raised alarms about the growing environmental degradation, warning that the activity could lead to landslides, flooding, and loss of farmland if not stopped immediately.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement, but calls are intensifying for swift government intervention to restore the damaged railway corridor and clamp down on the illegal miners.
