– when vessel runs into cable anchoring ‘dragga’ on Upper Mazaruni River

A COMMUNITY outing on the Upper Mazaruni River to celebrate the culmination of Indigenous Heritage Month nearly turned tragic, but for what can only be described as a miracle.

It happened last Monday when a party of some 30 residents of all ages from the village of Jawalla set out to visit the site of the famed Karowrieng rock paintings, a journey of some six hours.

With passengers seated on mattresses placed over plastic crates, the boat made its way slowly up the river in the early hours of morning.

In the darkness, they could barely make out what appeared to be a Brazilian ‘dragga’, an operation more powerful than the traditional dredge, up ahead.

Then, without warning, the steel cable anchoring the ‘dragga’ to trees across the river, an illegal practice, rose up out of the water, and whipped one of the passengers at the front of the boat across the face.

Had he not cried out in pain, causing others to take evasive action, there’s no telling what might have happened.

Thankfully, because everyone dove for cover, the cable skimmed overhead and no one else was injured.

On the other hand, had they been seated as they should have been, they could all have been either swept overboard or beheaded by the taut cable.

Sources say that although this particular incident had no more serious consequence than a severe fright for the passengers, navigating the Mazaruni River between Jawalla and Imbaimadai constitutes a daily hazard for residents of Indigenous communities.

Even the most experienced of boat captains are daily challenged by the constantly changing tide as a result of the sand-banks caused by tailings from mine sites.

Individual villagers are increasingly fearful of the dangers posed by river travel on this stretch of the Upper Mazaruni River, which remains the only physical means of communication between these communities and Kamarang, where most sub-regional public services, such as police, health, education, mining and agriculture are located.