Clearing of mangroves at Versailles an economic necessity – Edghill

…says steel piles, flood mitigation measures will be implemented

In the wake of criticisms against the clearing of mangroves at the Versailles-Malgre Tout, Region Three (Essequibo Island-West Demerara) shoreline, the Public Works Ministry has come out to assure that mitigation measures will be put in place to prevent flooding and any negative effects from the shore-based development.
During a press conference on Monday, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill urged the public to consider the overriding need to bring development and jobs to Region Three. According to him, the clearing of the mangroves is necessary for TriStar Incorporated, the company at the heart of the furore, to set up its shore-based facility.
“We were campaigning for the 2020 General and Regional Elections, (saying) elect us and we will create 50,000 jobs. This is only one of the projects of the several that will come on board that will provide job creation. This project, at both the construction and operational stage, will have a minimum of about 150 jobs.”
Edghill explained that TriStar made an application that was reviewed by the Sea and River Defence Board, which is composed of technical and engineering experts. He pointed out that this Board granted its no objection to the project, having considered all the potential fallouts.
He further pointed out that the US$100 million facility would be complemented by steel piles that would be built to mitigate floods. And according to Edghill, the clearing of the mangroves for this economic development would have no effect on Guyana’s international climate-related commitments or its reputation as a carbon sink.

“Hard structures will be built to mitigate flooding and protect that property and all the properties nearby from any flooding. So the issue is not flooding because the adequacy of hard structures is in place… development comes with changes,” the Minister further explained, adding that if Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon has legitimate concerns about the project then he should come to the table and engage in frank discussions with the Government, not be a “prophet of doom.”
Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar also spoke to the importance of the project to the Region Three economy. Indar pointed out that instead of Exxon and other oil companies outsourcing shore base jobs to Trinidad and Tobago, Guyanese could benefit and do the jobs locally.

Hypocrisy of APNU/AFC
But Indar also called out the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) for its hypocrisy, noting that the party displayed no interest in the welfare of sugar workers when it closed down estates and threw them on the breadlines.
“I would have liked for Mr Ramjattan. I would have liked for the Opposition Leader and the rest of the gang, that when they closed the sugar estates at Wales, if they could have found the time to go and see the workers that were out of jobs down there, if they had gone there with the level of interest they went there today with, I guess they would have still been in office.”
“But they didn’t go. They have 1500-1700 families still out of work. So here is a project that came to this Ministry for a no objection. Now when the Sea Defence Board gives its no objection, they consider a number of things (including) continuous flood management for sea defence… they don’t tell the contractor do what you please! Our guys are on the ground, looking.”
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, who paid a visit to the location in a speedboat alongside Alliance For Change (AFC) leader Khemraj Ramjattan, later issued a statement in which he was critical of the clearing of the mangroves.
Concerns were raised after the developer, TriStar Incorporated, cleared a large swathe of mangroves in order to establish a multi-million-dollar shore-based facility. Reports indicate that the developer cleared more mangroves than it was permitted to do, and stakeholders have since expressed concerns about the negative impacts this move could have as it relates to flooding. (G3)