Dear Editor,

INTERESTINGLY, I noticed a letter writer on Saturday mentioned that the channel at Piremap Falls never affected river traffic over the past three months. Strange; one only has to check with the two main jet boat operators whose offices are located a stone’s throw away, at Charlotte and Light Streets, Georgetown; or the boat operators at Bartica; the parents and teachers of the secondary school children from Issano, Kangaruma, Enachu; or the Medics at Issano, etc, to ascertain the facts.It is a fact that the jet boat services were directly prevented from operating by the dredge blocking the channel for 43 days since the mishap back in July. The other boats from Bartica were directly affected also, only less, as those boats are narrower in structure and were able to, at high risk, sneak by the wreck for a longer period when the water was high; and even those boats were prevented from operating for close to a month in total.

On a lighter note, however, the wreck was finally hauled significantly from the channel on 8th October, and the channel is now about 90% cleared.

May I take this opportunity to express, on behalf of all the residents: the police, the miners, the health workers, teachers, boat operators and all others affected, a heartfelt thank you to MARAD, the relevant ministries, the salvagers, and anyone else who contributed in getting the channel cleared.

Life will once again be returned to normal. We, the citizens who were directly affected, know of the suffering we went through, and will continue to observe with calm the opinions of experts and others who, from their writings and utterings, know very little of the actual facts.
Regards,
Ralph Persaud