–over illegal sand-pit operation in their backyards

RESIDENTS of a community aback Amelia’s Ward, Linden, are fearful they just might lose their properties if the illegal sandpit operation in their neighbourhood is allowed to flourish unchecked.

It is with this thought in mind that they are calling on the relevant authorities to look into the activity, which at the moment is causing large-scale soil erosion.

The residents on Tuesday met with members of the media, where they outlined the seriousness of the matter, which is fast becoming an environmental hazard.
They say that it is three years since they have been engaging regional authorities on the issue, but seem not to be getting anywhere.

What is basically occurring is that contractors, truck and tractor drivers and excavator operators alike, are all indiscriminately mining the white sand free of cost, to re-sell for various construction purposes.

Today, what was previously a small sand pit is now an enormous hole mere feet away from the back yards of many of the residents, one of whose property has already lost some foundation posts due to the incessant excavation.
Chairman of the Community’s Policing Group, Mr Hement Singh has said that the area, though not regularised, has been home to a number of people for over 30 years now. He himself has been living there for the past 28 years.

To date, there are close to 800 residents living in the community, many of whom may soon lose their properties if the digging continues.
“It is affecting the entire community, because not too far from there, we got a spring; people who can’t afford to buy drinking water or vehicle to reach at the house, that is where they going to the spring to do everything,” the concerned Chairman said, adding:

“And one of the other problems is the children; the children in the community is a lot, and the population keep growing all the time. There are 425 children alone in the community, and 345 adults. And at one time one a child already fall in the pit.” The Amelia’s Ward Primary School is just a stone’s throw away.
Singh’s wife said that in one day alone can see as many as three to four big trucks and more come to dig from the pit; some even come at nights with lights.

MAY GET DICEY
Singh said that on many occasions, the diggers and the residents have gotten into verbal conflict, and he is scared that one day the violence will get physical.
One resident, Mr Lewis Marks, in whose back yard the digging is currently taking place, said that he does not intend to take things lightly, and has every intention of doing persons harm should they cross the line.

The residents says they have spoken to several authorities at the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LMTC), the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), National Industrial Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and even the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

Some of these authorities, including Mayor Carwyn Holland, have since visited the community and did express concern over the situation.
“Yesterday marked three years since we have been trying, so we decided as a three-year anniversary to go back and do the whole thing again from the start,” Singh said.
“And the first place we went back yesterday is right back at the environmental office at LMTC where we start from,” he added.

The residents said that Regional Chairman, Renis Morian also promised on several occasions to bring a halt to the issue, and to even write Minister of State, Mr Joseph Harmon on the matter, but to date, has not received any help.

“There is nowhere else we can go to when it comes to Linden. They need to stop digging; that is what we are looking for,” Singh said. The residents claim that they have observed contractors working with the RDC and MTC are also raping the sand pit.

When asked about their regularisation status, Singh said that they are currently in the process of being regularised and the residents are presently engaging both NICIL, since the land is owned by that entity, and Guyana Lands and Survey Commission.

CONFLICTING REPORTS
When the Guyana Chronicle contacted NCIL Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Horace James on Tuesday, he said the houses are on NICIL’s property, but for sand removal, permission has to be given by GGMC.

He, however, promised to visit the community today. When the residents visited the GGMC office on Monday, an officer, though willing to help them, said she was not given permission to stop the digging from her superiors in Georgetown.
Mayor Holland said that the Council held meetings with GGMC and is trying to regularise the entire operations of digging in Linden. He admitted that it is a serious environmental hazard, and that the LMTC has engaged the RDC about having a new sand pit at a different location.

“Looking at the situation, they shouldn’t be digging any further there,” he said. However, Regional Chairman Morian, when contacted, said that any matter relating to digging and sand should be forwarded to the Council.
While the sand pit operation has been deemed an environment hazard, and poses a serious threat to property, Mayor Holland as well as Head of the Environmental Committee, Wainright Betune, said that the halting of the operations will put many contractors out of jobs and will also result in an increased price for construction materials.

“There are about 40 to 45 persons that depend on the sand pit for a livelihood, so it is a rock-and-a-hard-place kind of situation, in that you can’t stop them and then put these men out of jobs immediately, and you can’t allow them keep fetching out the sand and digging out people land,” Betune said, adding:
“So they should create a buffer zone that they shouldn’t pass, and at the same time look for alternative locations.”

He said that moving to other locations, however, will see an increase in construction costs in Linden. One of the truck drivers who sell the sand told the Guyana Chronicle that he has been digging there for over 15 years, and has in his employ over five young men who would be unemployed if he stops.

The driver did admit that the situation is hazardous, but said that some of the residents came to live there after the digging started.
“They came and reach us here; this is all we know,” he said. “Linden done ain’t get work! Where exactly they want us to go!”

He admitted that there are other sand pits in Linden but they are not as easily accessible as this one. “If we have to travel farther,” he said. “That mean that the sand cost will go up and it will affect every resident so this thing has a far way to go.”