In a small farming town of Atronsu, close to Sefwi Bekwai in the Western region, illegal miners (galamsey) have defied a legal action brought against them by local farmers and have started polluting the only stream in the town.

The miners claim to be working under a community mining scheme. Checks by Erastus Asare Donkor and the team at the Multimedia Group, however, indicate the mining activity is illegal.

Farmers in the small farming town have been fighting a proposed community mining scheme in court seeking to protect their lands and the only water source.

The miners are reported not to hail from the community but have hired several local young men to engage in the illegal activity.

The locals, who resisted any moves to visit the mining site with cameras, claim they have no other jobs or livelihood.

One of them, claiming to be an ex-convict, vowed he may as well be imprisoned again than to give up the illegality.

According to the farmers, the illegal mining activities have on two occasions led to the pollution of the only stream thus preventing them from watering their crops. On those two occasions, the water being used by the miners broke its embankment and flowed into the stream.

The farmers also say they will not sit aloof for the illegality to continue as their very future is at risk.#