Proposed mining project in Aranaputa cancelled

Last Updated on Tuesday, 18 March 2025, 21:39 by Writer

Amid serious concerns about the likely impact of a proposed gold mining project in Aranaputa, North Rupununi, because of the impact it would have on the environment in Region Nine, government on Tuesday yielded to pressure from residents and cancelled the investment.

Region Nine Chairman, Bryan Allicock told Demerara Waves Online News that the decision was made by Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat at a public meeting at Aranaputa. “The entire North Rupununi went against it because there are the wetlands of the Rupununi and the proposed mining site is the spawning area for fishing,” he said.

Mr Allicock said he was pleased with the decision to scrap the agreement between the Aranaputa Neighbourhood Democratic Council and the company, Sol Nascente Incorporated.

Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai, who witnessed the signing of the agreement, was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.

The Region Nine chairman restated that the project would have impacted the entire North Rupununi, whose populations is about 7,000, especially during floods caused by heavy rainfall. “Rupununi is a place it doesn’t tell you how high the water will come. It just come and flood out the area and take whatever pollutants that are there into the rivers,” he said.

The agreement between the NDC and Sol Nascente had been signed without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).

The Regional Chairman related that the Natural Resources Minister told the meeting that he would go with the decision of the residents. “Every single person that was there spoke out against it,” he said.