Tefle Community decries Sand Winning Activities along Volta River

Some residents of Tefle-Motoway – a small community near Sogakope in the South Tongu district of the Volta region have appealed to the authorities to intervene in bringing to an end the activities of some faceless individuals engaged in the winning of sand along the Volta river at Tefle.

The residents who spoke to Ghananewsonline.com.gh during a visit to the area described the situation as alarming.

They said the sand winning was so wide spread that the entire river bank had been destroyed with all of the sand collected away.

The residents fear that should the trend continue, the community risks being flooded which could lead to the displacement of the people of Tefle and adjoining communities.

As at the time Ghananewsonline.com.gh got to the area, a couple of heavy duty tipper trucks were being loaded with the sand which was said to have been dredged out from the river and not gathered on the river bank.

It is however not certain as to the individuals or companies behind this activity and the destination of the trucks, but one of the residents who spoke on conditions of anonymity was sure the sand was being sold to real estate developers in Accra, Tema and other areas.

He accused the South Tongu District Assembly of underhand dealings in the matter hence their dead silence all these while this activity had been going on.

“One wonders why the whole South Tongu District Assembly is not able to stop these people. I don’t know whether they have taken money from these people and allowing them to destroy this town – Even the EPA man here is just sitting there doing nothing – what is actually going on?” he quizzed angrily.

The residents further alleged that more than 25 truck loads of the sand is tipped away on a daily basis.

One elder of the area, Zipuitor Dzobo Amesawu, whose house is just close to the river bank described the situation as an ‘eye sore’. He said the community was aware of some of their own natives who were engaged in the sand winning albeit on a small scale just to make ends meet.

“We are not against our own people, indigenes of Tefle who have since time immemorial been doing this to earn a living – we are rather against the ‘big commercial entities’ engaged in this illegality – today you are not lucky, you met only a few trucks, if you see the number of tipper trucks that come in and move out of here every day and the quantum of sand collected from here, my brother you will not believe it.

Zikpuitor Dzobo revealed that sometime in the past when the river overflowed its banks causing near flooding of the area, it took the late former President H.E Jerry John Rawlings whose house is situated near the river to call in the VRA to intervene.

Zikpuitor Dzobo said the VRA had to run in to dredge the entire stretch of the river around Tefle-motorway and then use the sand collected to refill the river bank. He alleged that those engaged in the activities sadly, were collecting sand from that landfill with impunity.

The residents have served warning that should the authorities continue to gloss over these activities and allow this to continue they may have to take matters into their own hands by resisting any further attempts by “these faceless people behind this illegality,” they said.

Frantic calls made to the offices of the South Tongu District Assembly and the Environmental Protection Agency by Ghananewsonline.com.gh to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the claims by the residents went unanswered as at the time of filing this report.

Ghananewsonline.com.gh will however keep an eye on the development and bring our readers up to speed.

By Leo Nelson