Latest update January 18th, 2025 2:31 AM
Jun 08, 2010 News
By Leonard Gildarie
Logging operations in the Berbice River, have come to a halt after rising waters blocked a key crossing at Kwakwani, leaving scores of trucks stranded with cut lumber.
Government officials have since said that they are carrying out an assessment of the impact of the flooding in logging areas.
Loggers yesterday complained that waters started rising about three weeks ago, flooding a crossing to the extent that a pontoon used by concession holders was unable to load.
The Kwakwani Waterfront and Jeep Landing are the areas immediately affected, one logger said yesterday.
Companies like Bai Shan Ling and several large operators are the ones affected, loggers said.
“I can tell you that this situation can literally cripple us since we all have orders in China to meet.
I have about 50 truckloads of logs waiting and we will miss the ship this week,” said one businessman.
In addition to late fees to the shipping companies, the loggers face the very real threat of losing their contracts with mainly China. The floodwaters are not expected to go down until August and have been happening every two-three years when there are heavy rains.
“We wrote RUSAL for them to open up their roads. They refused.
The Prime Minister and Government have also been written to. We have not received any replies. Every day that passes is money for us.”
Contacted yesterday, Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, whose portfolio includes forestry, said he had received a report and over the weekend instructed the Guyana Forestry Commission to write RUSAL and other stakeholders to examine the possibilities of help for the loggers.
“I will be making arrangements to visit the Kwakwani area by this weekend.
I am aware that the hinterland areas have been hard hit by rains.”
Kaieteur News was told that a pontoon operating in the area is unable to do so because of the depth of the water which has risen several feet.
Rains over the past few weeks have reportedly affected operations of mining and logging in several interior locations, including Mahdia.
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