Team to send to address sand mining concerns in Region Two
Kaieteur News- Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat announced yesterday that a team from the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, will soon be visiting sand mining operators in Region Two, in an effort to allay some of their concerns.
Some sand pit operators and Onderneeming residents.
The Minister was at the time meeting with sand mining operators at Onderneeming Sandpit on the Essequibo Coast. During the meeting, miners explained that there are a number of challenges, which continue to plague sand mining operations in the Pomeroon / Supenaam region.
Kaieteur News understands that there are three large sand pits, currently in operation on the Essequibo Coast – Capoey, Onderneeming and Mainstay / Whayaka. A female representative from the Mainstay / Whayaka community explained that mining in her community had been unchanged for over six months. “In July last year,” he said, “we were closed because of allegations that we were not complying with the regulations. When we tried to reapply we still had a difficult time. ”
Minister Bharrat explained that the community’s mining operations had been suspended, as it was alleged that the community was mining close to a residential area. “The Guyana Lands and Survey Commissioner said that the reason mining was stopped, is because the activity is encroaching on the housing area and those kinds of things can have a number of consequences,” said the Minister.
Yesterday, Minister Bharrat did as he addressed the concerns of Sand Mining Operators. (
Ralph Hendricks, Toshao Capoey community, said GGMC has not conducted a survey of the Capoey sand pit, for almost a year.
“Since March we have not had a surveyor come to inspect our sand production. Every month the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission uses to come and survey the mine so they know how much royalty we have for them. We need to see them back in the sandpit in Capoey, ”said Toshao.
Hendricks also asked for a road to be built that would bridge the sand pit with an existing ‘crush and run’ road.