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Mahdia in crisis – APNU
-main access roads a war zone
Opposition political parties are calling for urgent Government intervention,
APNU is calling on government to fix this road leading from the Mahdia airfield, Region 8, to that mining community.
yesterday saying that Mahdia, a mining community in Region Eight, is in deep crisis.
A team from A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) visited the area in response to requests from residents to address a number of critical issues.
The team which comprised Members of Parliament, Ronald Bulkan and Desmond Trotman, and with APNU’s Region Eight political coordinator, Gloria Bancroft, said that it was able to see firsthand, several problems, including the “shameful conditions” of the main access road leading from Mango Landing to Mahdia, a long-time mining outpost of the hinterlands.
“The condition of this road is totally unacceptable and signals a form of disrespect to the residents of Mahdia and those who use the road and by extension the people of Guyana,” APNU’s Parliamentarian, Ronald Bulkan said yesterday.
“Deplorable and disgraceful does not even begin to describe the condition of this main roadway.”
The road from Mahdia to Mango Landing is the main access from the community and by the hour is becoming virtually impassable.
“This is a valuable economic zone to the country and APNU considers it a near impossible situation to get in and out. People’s livelihoods are at stake here. The residents are complaining but the government is not listening. These roads are the lifeblood to the community.”
The area was previously under the control of the People’s Progressive Party until the November 28, 2011 General Elections when the AFC won a plurality in that Region and later its chairmanship.
The stretch of road from the airstrip junction to Mahdia and the roads in Mahdia itself were yesterday described as a war zone.
“This particular stretch of airport road to Mahdia is worse than war zone. We also had people raising issues of the water shortage, garbage and health risks. The garbage situation is terrible and if not addressed urgently will pose a serious health hazard. We fear, now, that the community may face a health crisis if the situation is not urgently addressed.”
Following a joint APNU/AFC public meeting with residents on Thursday, at the Mahdia Community ground, the two parties met with Regional Executive Officer of Region Eight, Ronald Harsawack.
Residents of Mahdia during a meeting with an APNU delegation Thursday. The residents are upset over the situation in that mining community.
Also at that meeting were APNU’s Councillor, Timothy Junor, and Regional Chairman, Mark Crawford.
“The last RDC allowed conditions to deteriorate and showed total disrespect for the residents of Region Eight. We are now asking Government to make emergency interventions to address the crisis.
“We are calling for a grader, dump truck and a front end loader to start the emergency works on the Mango Landing road.”
According to Bulkan, the REO said that he had written Mekdeci Mining Company (MMC) which has been contracted by the government to maintain that road but the company is yet to reply. The REO had also requested the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development for help to fix roads in the community.
“We requested that he supply us copies of those letters since we, APNU, would like to follow up.”
The APNU delegation also visited nearby Princeville, an Amerindian community 11 miles from Mahdia.
“The area along the Bartica/Issano road is also near impassible. We can’t have our people in Guyana living like this. The residents are saying that if they don’t get immediate attention, they will take their own immediate actions.”
Meanwhile, on the water situation, Bulkan is questioning claims by the REO that the water lines leading to Mahdia were vandalized on Wednesday.
“During our meeting with him on Friday, he (Harsawack) said that a police report was made and investigations are underway. We sought to ascertain the status of the investigations only to be informed by Officer-in-Charge, a Sgt. Daniels that the police were not in receipt of any reports of vandalism or theft.”
On Friday, Harsawack in a statement said that vandals had damaged the water lines to Mahdia.
However, Bulkan said that checks found that water lines were not deliberately cut but rather were not fixed properly and the force of the water had pushed them apart.
“All the lines are there even though the delegation was informed by the REO that 250 meters of water mains were apparently stolen. We are puzzled about this claim of the pipe being deliberately cut and pilfered. The evidence established by the Regional Chairman Crawford does not support this.”
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