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Kumaka Landing squatters have to move -Benn
Another section of land under threat of slipping into the river forcing the wharf further into the Aruka River.
By Gary Eleazar
Persons occupying the government reserves at Kumaka Landing, Mabaruma, have no other choice but to remove.
This is according to Minister of Public Works Transportation and Hydraulics yesterday while giving an update.
Persons continuing to occupy the land will worsen erosion in the area, increasing the threat to a stelling/wharf.
A team of officials had traveled to the Region One location to assess the damage to what is considered the main port of entry to that locale and, according to the Minister, a number of recommendations by engineers are on the cards and action will be taken shortly.
Water has always and will continue to be a dominant force as it relates to destruction around the world and according to some business people at the Kumaka Landing/Wharf in Region One, Barima Waini, there is now the imminent threat to loss of lives and business. Over the years, the wharf along with some land has been slowly slipping into the river. The situation has started to become even worse in recent months.
Several businesses now face extinction given that the wharf has slipped some 40 feet away. It was pointed out that a new bridge had to be built to gain access to the wharf.
The area is described as the central business district of the Mabaruma Sub-Region. It was pointed out that the MV Kimbia usually moors on the wharf located on the nearby Aruka River bank whenever the vessel travels to the area.
Regional Chairman, Fermin Singh, in a recent interview with this newspaper had said that the wharf falls under the purview of the Transport and Harbours Department which has already promised some help.
The government had promised to conduct some revetment work but the people dwelling there had refused and said that they would do it themselves since if government had to do the work, it would mean they would have had to be removed for an extended period of time.
“They say that they will do the revetment themselves…I had a meeting with them saying that you need to relocate yourselves and let us do the revetment before you lose your business premises.”
The chairman emphasized that he was sure that they could not have undertaken the revetment work since “today nature is compelling them to remove…no fault of the administration.”
“Everybody feel that if they move from there they would actually die because they would not get to do any business…I told them there is an old saying that says where the nectar is that is where the bees will come.”
It is a principle, he said, the businessmen and women apparently did not comprehend.
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