–collapsed tailings pond adds to residents’ woes; over 100 persons affected

WHILE there have been some reports of floodwaters receding across Guyana, the situation in Region Ten (Upper Demerara/Berbice) has not improved.
Regional Chairman Deron Adams, during a telephone interview on Friday, told the Guyana Chronicle that the water level has risen in several communities across the region, including the already severely inundated Kwakwani. He said, too, that a collapsed tailings pond at the East Montgomery Mine has left close to 100 residents of Three Friends Mine and Maria Henrietta battling with high water levels. The pond reportedly collapsed around 21:30hrs on Thursday. According to Adams, the situation is severe, with at least one family being at risk of losing their home. He said that members of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and other government officials have since been informed of these developments.
In the meantime, the Regional Disaster Committee has dispatched a team to the areas affected by the breach.
“I would have put together a team, and they are on the ground, trying to remedy the problem. Also, we have the electricity company, and the CEO of the National Drainage and Irrigation

Authority (NDIA) is on the ground as well,” Adams told this publication. Regarding the request of residents for drinking water, he said some was delivered by the regional authorities, but much more assistance will be needed, since the roads in the affected communities are completely under water.
“They would have asked for water, and they will likely need food supplies, because the pond has collapsed, and they are kind of locked in there at the moment,” the regional chairman said, adding: “At the regional level, we are trying to see how we can coordinate. We sent in some water to the area already; at this time, we will likely need more assistance.”
Adams disclosed that the tailings pond is controlled by Bosai Mineral Group Guyana, and he believes that because of the heavy rainfall and high tides, a breach would have occurred, causing the pond to overflow.

An official investigation is underway to determine the cause of the breach.
Tailings ponds are engineered dyke facilities used to store waste materials. Miners would dump their waste materials into these ponds to allow for the separation of solid particles from water. Adams has also reported that water levels have risen in the communities of Malali, Aroaima, Kwakwani, Hururu, Muritaro, Central Coomacka and Landersville. He said that based on the reports out of Muritaro, residents there may need to be relocated. Speaking to the number of persons that have since been displaced from their homes, he said a total of 42 residents are currently being housed at the Kwakwani Primary and Secondary Schools, which have been transformed into shelters.
The shelters set up in the ‘Forestry’ compound and at the Hururu Primary and Secondary Schools are housing a total of 87 residents.