Danger is looming in some communities within the Kwabre East Municipality of the Ashanti Region as encroachment continues to threaten quarry operations, raising fears of possible loss of lives and destruction of property during blasting activities.
By law, a minimum buffer zone of 500 metres must be maintained between quarry blasting sites and human settlements or structures.
However, this requirement is increasingly being ignored in communities such as Asonomaso, where unauthorised structures are springing up dangerously close to active quarry sites.
During a visit to the area, several people were seen working on construction sites located within the restricted buffer zones, while a piggery was also found operating close to a quarry. Quarry operators warn that such developments pose a serious risk to human lives, property and the sustainability of quarry operations.
A further tour revealed a more troubling situation, with portions of land within the buffer zones reportedly being occupied by individuals, including personnel from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and some police officers, who are putting up structures in the area.
The General Manager of A. Kanin Quarry & Concrete Products Limited, Ebenezer Mensah Gawu, described the situation as a major threat to public safety. He explained that living within a quarry concession or buffer zone exposed residents to intense earth tremors from blasting, as well as serious health risks from quarry dust and airborne particles.
According to him, some of the dust particles are not visible to the naked eye but can be inhaled into the body and cause long-term health complications. He noted that despite repeated warnings, many people continue to build in the area, only realising the dangers after they have moved in.
“It is a serious challenge that we are facing. We wish they would come to terms with the reality and understand that it is not good to live within a quarry concession or buffer zone. The effects are quite dire,” he said.
Quarry operators have accused some traditional authorities of ignoring safety concerns and selling lands within the buffer zones, allegedly prioritising profit over the wellbeing of residents.
The Director of A. Kanin Quarry & Concrete Products Limited, Eric Akwasi Appiah, disclosed that checks at the Kwabre East Municipal Assembly showed that none of the individuals encroaching on the buffer zones had obtained the required permits to put up their structures.
“All these people building here — there is not a single person who can prove they were given a permit by the district. Not a single person can show such proof, yet they are building. So one has to ask: who gave them the permit? Who actually sold the land to them?” he questioned.
The quarry companies are calling on government and regulatory authorities to urgently intervene and strictly enforce existing regulations to prevent a potential disaster.
Across parts of the Ashanti Region, several incidents have already been recorded where lives and property were affected by encroachment into quarry buffer zones, underscoring the dangers if the situation is left unchecked.
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