Some four months after dredge “Draga” sank at Pieremap Falls, Mazaruni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has ordered that the vessel be removed “by any means possible”.
David Patterson
The Minister told reporters on Friday that he has appointed someone to salvage the vessel, which will be done soon using one of three options.
“I know that the salvager has started and I gave her the instructions by any means possible – either cut it, tow it or destroy it… It is in the letter destroy it. I didn’t say blow it up,” Patterson stated.
According to the Minister, this exercise will cost $24 million, which the owner Crown Mining will have to repay Government.
Moreover, Patterson disclosed that the owner had written to him, through a lawyer, requesting more time but that request was denied.
“I told him you cannot have one dredge disturbing an entire community…We have written to the owner of the dredge, indicating our disquiet on the issue of it taking so long – it actually went down the first week of June and it’s still there,” the Public Infrastructure Minister stated.
Over the past few months, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) MARAD and Crown Mining have been severely criticised over the failure to remove the sunken dredge at Pieremap Falls, Mazaruni River.
It was reported that Crown Mining assiduously tried to remove the dredge from its current position, unfortunately high tide and the location of the dredge, between rocks in the waterfalls, made it impossible to manoeuvre special equipment to the site.
Residents have also complained about the sunken dredge and the government’s failure to have it moved. The channel in which the partially submerged dredge is lodged is the only avenue for transportation to the upper and middle Mazaruni.
Only last month, the Natural Resources Ministry had assured that between the responsible mining operator and the MARAD, there will be an intensified effort to remove the dredge ‘Draga’ from its location in the Mazaruni River.
