BY Ariana Gordon

SMALL miners in Konawaruk, Region 8, are happy that Government has begun constructing a new bridge at North Fork backdam, despite the prevailing problems they face.This is one of the main bridges used by miners to access the mining district, and it was washed away by heavy rainfall and flooding when a creek in the area became swollen. A visit to the North Fork Backdam on Friday saw employees of the Mekdeci Mining Company (MMC) working feverishly to complete construction of the bridge.

According to manager in charge of the project, Chris Xavriel, the previous bridge was not laid on a strong foundation; but, despite that fact, the Mekdeci employee noted that the rising of the creek water was unexpected. As a result of the “washing away” of the old bridge, MMC is in the process of building a strong foundation that would see it almost impossible for the new bridge to be washed away.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Xavriel said lots of foundation work had to be done. He explained that a totally new foundation strategy is being employed. “We have 50-foot logs, 40 into the land and 10 feet overlapping the creek. That was never there before…the older bridge had no strength to the land, so the water came, it covered the bridge…it came higher than anybody expected,” he stated.

The manager also said the revetment is superior to any other, and he noted that “nothing could move this right now.” The work, which began last Thursday, is expected to be completed by Monday, thereby allowing for miners to traverse the area. The contractor explained that while he has experienced workers on the project, the terrain was a difficult one, as there are lots of large rocks located in the stream and there are old logs built into the land.

“We can’t excavate that…” he stated.

SEVERE HARDSHIP
Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, told this newspaper that the washed away bridge has caused severe hardship on the mining district. She explained that miners use the bridge to move their equipment and food from one location to another.

“The miners have been complaining that, over the years, the quality of work being done by contractors leaves much to be desired. They believe that the inferior work done in the past is an insult to them, as they pay royalty and taxes like all other citizens,” said Broomes.

The minister said many miners have been left without food because of the inaccessibility of the roadway. “I am happy this bridge will be completed by Monday, and vehicles would be able to cross here,” she remarked.

Guyana Chronicle observed that a nearby pathway that runs towards the stream of water was dug by miners in order for them to get across to the other side. However, one miner said he is forced to walk through the deep stream to get to the other side because his life and that of his family depends on it.

“It is really hard on us…people on the coast don’t understand the struggles of small miners. They heard about our struggles and dismiss them because they feel we have lots of gold here…it is not easy. I am happy that the bridge will be completed soon, because crossing that stream is not safe.”

PLEASED WITH WORK
Another miner, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Guyana Chronicle that while she is pleased that the Government, through the Ministry of Infrastructure, is working to have the bridge accessible again, large mining companies like Tesouro Mining should be responsible for the repairs done to the roads.

“It is the big companies that traverse the roads daily that cause the damage…they should be giving back to the community, and not every time we have to wait on the Government to fix the roads or bridges…We don’t have the kind of equipment that they have…we are small miners…Now the road is impassable and we have to wait days before we can go to buy foodstuff and the like,” she said.

While the miners have expressed pleasure with the work being done at North Fork Backdam, they are not pleased with the state of the bridge that leads from Konawaruk to Mowasi Landing, Potaro, Region 8. A visit to that area disclosed a shaky structure that can barely take the weight of persons walking, much less vehicles that have to traverse it. Miners have complained that, over the years, the trucks and other vehicles which are forced to traverse the location toppled into the Potaro River located under the unstable structure.

A walk across the bridge by this reporter was nerve-wrecking, as there was rotten wood placed along beams to facilitate the crossing from Konawaruk to Mowasi.

“That is not a bridge…it is a rat trap…a disaster waiting to happen,” one miner told Guyana Chronicle on Friday as he expressed displeasure with the state of the bridge.

Asked to comment on the deplorable state of the bridge, Minister Broomes said, “I am not going to bury my head in the sand…we did not inherit good things…and when it rains, the wood floats away, trucks fall over board, cruisers…people drown…”

She, like the miners, conceded that the bridge is in dire need of repairs.
“I am in the process of sending photographs and a report to Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, with the hope that that Ministry can address the problem soon,” she disclosed.

Minister Broomes told this newspaper that she understands the plight of the miners who are forced to traverse bridges in such conditions with the aim of maintaining families.