The Bartica Mayor and Town Council has taken a decision to relocate its sandpit which was issued a cease order by the Ministry of Natural Resources in May, due to safety infractions.
It is expected that the area will be cleared and relocated within three months, the Department of Public Information noted.
Mayor Gifford Marshall said in the meantime, the current space at Five Miles, Bartica will be transformed into a recreational facility.
This venture will be a partnership between the council which operated the sandpit and the business community of Bartica and is expected to be completed before year-end.
News Room reported that the closure of the sandpit led to several public and private projects in Bartica, being stalled.
Some of the stalled projects include the rehabilitation of the community center and construction of a new Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) power station.
The Mayor said, despite the economic challenges encountered with the closure of the sandpit, this new venture will take the town one step closer in attaining its green agenda.
“It is an economic blow but we will use that to our advantage to ensure that good things come out from this which will be in keeping with our green agenda,” Marshall is quoted as saying by the DPI.
Following the sandpit’s closure, to date, the council has managed to correct the major infractions which include benching of the walls to prevent trucks from driving into them.
The Mayor pointed out that following these works, the council was informed by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commissions (GGMC) that an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permit and a Lands and Surveys no-objection order are necessary before the sandpit returns to operation.
