Frustration is mounting in the Kamgbunli community as residents await answers from government agencies over the unexplained contamination of three vital rivers, which has left thousands of dead fish rotting in the water and threatened the survival of local fishing families.
Nearly a month after officials collected samples from the polluted Fia, Ebi, and Amanzule rivers, no findings have been released, leaving the community stranded without clean water or income.
Assembly Member Dawuda Musa, representing Kamgbunli, issued a urgent plea to the Fisheries Commission, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Water Resources Commission to expedite their investigations. “Our people are suffering. They complied with the directive to stop fishing, but how long can they wait without answers—or alternatives?” Musa said during an interview. The contamination, first reported by 3News on January 11, 2025, has paralyzed a region where fishing is not just an industry but a lifeline.
In the weeks since the alarming discovery, officials conducted site visits and pledged swift action. Yet, as days turn to weeks, skepticism has replaced hope. Musa confirmed that while the Water Resources Commission claims to have finalized its analysis, the EPA and Fisheries Commission remain silent. “Every delay deepens the crisis. Families can’t drink from the rivers, let alone earn a living,” he added.
The contamination has sparked fears of chemical dumping, illegal mining runoff, or toxic algal blooms, though no official theories have been disclosed. Local fisherfolk, already grappling with Ghana’s broader economic challenges, now face existential uncertainty. “We obeyed the ban, but hunger doesn’t wait,” said Adwoa Mensah, a mother of four who sold smoked fish at a nearby market. “Our children are hungry, and our savings are gone.”
Environmental experts warn that the stagnation of the probe risks long-term ecological and public health damage. Dr. Kofi Ansah, a hydrologist at the University of Ghana, stressed that contamination in interconnected river systems can spread rapidly. “Delays in identifying the pollutant allow toxins to seep into groundwater and soil, threatening crops and drinking wells,” he explained.
Critics accuse authorities of bureaucratic inertia, noting that similar delays have plagued past environmental crises. In 2022, a cyanide spill in the Ankobra River took six months to resolve, devastating local fisheries. The Ellembelle incident echoes that pattern, with villagers questioning whether their plight is being sidelined due to the region’s marginalization.
Musa emphasized that the community’s patience is wearing thin. “We’ve cooperated, but cooperation cannot feed empty stomachs,” he said, urging agencies to prioritize transparency. Meanwhile, makeshift solutions—like costly deliveries of bottled water—are unsustainable for a community where over 70% live below the poverty line.
As pressure builds, the EPA issued a brief statement acknowledging the “complexity” of the tests but offered no timeline. For Kamgbunli’s residents, however, complexity is a luxury they cannot afford. “We need action, not excuses,” said local chief Nana Kwamena Ewusi. “Our rivers are dying, and with them, our future.”
With no resolution in sight, the crisis in Ellembelle underscores a harsh reality: for Ghana’s rural poor, environmental disasters are not just ecological threats—they are battles for survival.
