Water versus gold at Port Kaituma – commentary

Water versus gold at Port Kaituma

Mining for gold

SEPTEMBER 8, 2014 · Stabroek News – Editorial

Two weeks ago, residents of Port Kaituma and nearby areas began to complain bitterly about the pollution of their water supplies by miners working upstream. In the past few years such complaints from various parts of the country have been numerous and a reflection of the wanton disregard of miners for the riparian rights of citizens in these areas. Miners have become emboldened by the increasing weight of the economy attributable to their mineral returns and the ineffectiveness of the government and its regulatory bodies at reining in environmental pollution.

How did the government respond to the concerns of the Port Kaituma residents? Well, it seems that the Minister of Natural Resources Robert Persaud had been in the area for mining week activities and upon hearing of the concerns he announced that the ministry would make available G$80m (US$400,000), to the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) for the construction of a water treatment plant.