Dear Editor,
It is very upsetting to read of what is happening in Arau Village, but not surprising really. If these miners have burrowed into such remote areas, then nowhere in Guyana is safe from this rise of destruction. Very soon, Guyana will no longer be what it still is, one of the last pristine countries in the tropics.
Many interior locations have fallen to the hands of miners for the sake of a few grams of gold. The sad fact is that relatively few miners make a profit from these ventures and the mined out locations are very slow to recover and can remain barren for decades – not to mention rivers losing all life and their unsuitability for human habitation due to mercury contamination.
It’s easy to see that such cases will rise exponentially with the rise in gold prices; everyone wants a quick buck, but then land is rendered useless – useless for the ecosystem, for farming, for ecotourism and for human habitation.
Mahdia, for example, has been an eyesore for any visitor going to the Kaieteur Falls. How long would it be before miners start their work there and we see a flow of muddy water instead of its clean darkness? Yes, people have to make a living, but it should not be at the expense of our unique and beautiful country.
More has to be done, miners should be given permits in strategic areas where the authorities have set up monitoring stations and will keep a careful eye over them. Forget about other outlying areas until sites can be set up there.
Forget about raking in the revenues as quickly as possible and think more about controlling what has long run out of control. Put miners where you can see them and nowhere else. We can’t afford what is happening.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
