The Village Council of Arau is “intimately” involved in mining and had brought in other miners, some of whom have been causing some concerns, Acting Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), William Woolford says.

A GGMC team that visited the area, following a publication of a report in this newspaper about the concerns of residents of the remote community about mining returned yesterday and Woolford said that a report should be available by Monday.

Woolford said that mining is important for poverty alleviation but it must be done in accordance with the law and the regulatory agency will be taking action.

Last month, following what it said was years of pleas, the Arau village council appealed to the government and state regulatory bodies for mining and the environment, to immediately take steps to prevent further destruction of their traditional lands and the environment surrounding the village

Chief of the village, Devroy Thomas had acknowledged that they had done some mining and understood its importance.  “The people of Arau village recognize that mining is an important form of economic activity and we have engaged in some mining of our own but what we urgently request is the proper regulation of mining to prevent further damage to the environment and to the lives of our people”, he had said.

This newspaper had previously visited the community and another visit last month found that environmentally unsound mining practices continued and the Arau River was discoloured.