Plans are on stream to transform the recently closed sandpit area at Five Miles, Bartica into a green space, the Department of Public Information (DPI) said on Saturday.
The sandpit is operated by the Town Council and was given a cease order by Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, in May, due to safety infractions.
Bartica’s Mayor, Gifford Marshall told DPI that the sandpit will be cleared in another three months. The vacant space will be used as a recreational area.
“The housing area, between One to Five Miles, has no recreational facilities plus going east we have a whitewater and a normal creek. So, we will develop the area into a green space which will entail a playfield and a place for relaxation,” Marshall said.
This venture will be a partnership between the council and the business community and is expected to be completed before year-end.
The mayor said despite the economic challenges posed by the closure of the sandpit, this new venture will take the town one step closer in attaining its green agenda.
Following the sandpit’s closure, the council has managed to correct the major infractions. The mayor pointed out that following these works, the council was informed by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commissions that an Environmental Protection Agency permit and a Lands and Surveys no-objection order are necessary before the sandpit returns to operation.
