An ecological and physicochemical assessment of the damaged Konawaruk River is to commence early next month with similar studies expected to be done on the Cuyuni and Mazaruni rivers which have suffered from the impacts of mining activities.
A year ago, in September 2013, Stabroek News had reported that the Konawaruk River in Region Eight is still heavily silted more than a decade after attention was first drawn to the degraded state of the waterway as a result of mining. It had previously been branded a “dead” river – incapable of supporting aquatic life but this has drawn varying views. Following the Stabroek News report, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment said that a detailed biological assessment of the Konawaruk River would be done.
With funding as well as expertise from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon begin the studies, an official said yesterday.
Earlier this month, the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) had also expressed concern about the environmental damage being done to the Cuyuni, Mazaruni and Essequibo rivers by gold mining. The former president of the association Kit Nascimento said that they had expressed their growing concern to Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud.
Nascimento said they were advised that the EPA in collaboration with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the WWF are implementing “a detailed water quality assessment of the Cuyuni River” as part of an ecological and physicochemical assessment of the Cuyuni/Mazaruni/Konawaruk River Basin.
Persaud could not be reached for comment yesterday. However, an official with knowledge of the matter told Stabroek News that the assessments would include taking samples, testing water turbidity, determining the sources of pollution as well as taking action and implementing remedial measures.
Following the Stabroek News story on the Konawaruk River, Persaud had acknowledged that the Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) river has been degraded by mining activities and said that action can be taken to help the river recover. “Whether the [Konawaruk] River is supporting aquatic life needs to be assessed. No recent studies have been conducted nor are recent scientific data available,” Persaud had said.
“With proper management of tailings by miners, constant monitoring and enforcement by GGMC and EPA, the river can recuperate.
If required as a last resort, targeted/direct environmental restoration has been done in many other places, including restoration of rivers and biodiversity. If the situation warrants it, we are sure it can be done here as well,” the minister had said.
Mining has been identified as the main cause of pollution of many small rivers as well as several larger rivers in Guyana. Last month, Persaud announced that the ministry would make available $80 million to the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) for the construction of a water treatment plant at Port Kaituma.
This follows heavy pollution of the Kaituma River as a result of mining. Residents had previously utilised the river as a source of drinking water as well as for other domestic purposes.
Given the damage and pollution of the rivers, the monitoring as well as the enforcement of mining regulations by the GGMC as well as other agencies have been called into question. Mining is set to increase after thousands of acres of mining lands were released recently.
