…Gov’t apologises, residents fume

OFFICIALS from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and Crown Mining Supplies will be intensifying efforts to remove a dredge that sank in the Mazaruni River and cut off passage to many boats operating there, thus causing severe hardships to students and businesses.The Ministry of Natural Resources said in a statement on Friday that efforts would be intensified to remove the dredge, called ‘draga’, from its location in the Mazaruni River. The ministry said it is mindful of the public’s many complaints, and is committed to ensuring that this issue is addressed as soon as possible.

“While there has been some degree of restriction in the river due to the salvage cables attached to the wreck, it is reported that some cargo and passenger boats have been able to pass the area without, hindrance through a back channel,” the ministry said, adding that the water level of the Mazaruni River has of late caused some difficulty in the salvage efforts.

“There is to be an emergency meeting on Monday, September 19, 2016, convened between an advisory board of MARAD and the operator responsible for the sunken dredge with a view to working out emergency modalities for the removal of the dredge,” the statement said.

Minster within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, apologised on Thursday to users of the Mazaruni channel, Region Seven, for the inconvenience caused by the sunken dredge. In an invited comment, Minister Ferguson told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that she understands the plight of those affected, and is apologising to them. She is also urging residents, tourists, boat operators, miners and school children to continue to have patience as the ministry works to bring relief shortly. Minister Ferguson told GINA that MARAD engineers took the initiative to cut the dredge into pieces to surface it, and by the end of September the entire dredge should be surfaced.

Media reports state that, approximately two months ago, the dredge sank while it was proceeding along the river on its way to Potaro. This has adversely affected the ingress and egress of users of the Mazaruni River. It was subsequently reported that the dredge had shifted position to the middle of the river, making the situation worse. However, the Minster said, “Relief is underway for the affected riverine communities, and I can assure the operators who ply their trade in the Mazaruni area that they will be relieved, as we work to remove the dredge, as soon as possible.”

The channel in which the partially submerged dredge is located serves as the only avenue for transportation for riverine communities to the upper and middle Mazaruni. Recently, the Ministry of Natural Resources had indicated that it is currently engaged with a mining company to remove the dredge from the channel, and the ministry would continue to monitor the situation in collaboration with MARAD.

Minister Patterson explained that Crown Mining Supplies, which owns the dredge, is likely to assist with the cost of its removal. In a letter to the Editor of this newspaper on Thursday, Ralph Persaud complained about the difficulties miners, boat operators, school children, tourists, and all other general users of the Mazaruni River are facing with the continued blockage of the channel at Piremap falls by the dredge owned by Crown mining supplies.
“The water has risen significantly over the last week, and some operators are forced to navigate their boats over rocks alongside the channel, just to get much needed supplies to their workers and children that are stranded in the upper Mazaruni area,” Persaud noted in his letter. He said the situation is a “disaster waiting to happen, as the water may recede at any time and force these boat operators to take even more chances. To rub salt into the wounds, if seems as though the small miners and others affected have to cope by whatever means, since the company at fault here, Crown Mining Supplies, does nothing. There has been no apology, no information, no relief, nothing,” Persaud lamented.

“I know of three separate occasions where dredges of the same size sunk at that very falls, and the owners, mostly Brazilians, got it removed within three days; but this company seems to be above the law, as there is no urgency on their part to have this dredge removed. This is blatant disregard for the rights of ordinary Guyanese; it appears as though there is one set of rules for the esteemed owners of this dredge and another set for the everyday citizen.”