President of the Forest Products Association of Guyana (FPAG), Mr. John Willems told reporters that the blocking of certain roads - the main arteries to forest concessions - has hampered food and fuel supplies to the operations.

Without food and fuel, all operations in the area concerned will have to close down within three days and personnel will be stranded, he reported at a news conference at the FPAG office in Georgetown.

Police yesterday advised that all blockages have been completely cleared, making the road to Kwakwani, as well as other streets in Linden, accessible once again to vehicular traffic.

Willems yesterday urged the authorities "to quickly implement corrective measures at Linden so that forest operations can resume normalcy."

"Such disruption must not reoccur and the security agencies must be so charged," he stated.

The actions taken by Linden residents since Friday resulted in the blocking of the Linden/Ituni/Kwakwani road and the Mackenzie/Wismar bridge across the Demerara River, which gives access to the Mabura/Linden road.

Willems said this hampered forest operations in the upper Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice areas, as these roads are the main arteries to those concessions.

According to him, the dislocation of services has resulted in no food being taken to the workers and their families, fuel supplies not being replenished, local and export orders not being supplied, disruption of trade supplies and access to Lethem/Brazil, threat to life and property, and in the event of any medical emergency, no immediate evacuation could take place.

"These have further compounded the present crippling situation currently affecting the forest industry and is bound to prove disastrous if the situation continues," Willems told reporters.

He said the FPAG noted with grave concern "the failure of the Linden Power Company, which disrupted the supply of water for the community, leading to social unrest".

Willems said that the situation has adversely affected the daily lives of residents, workers and businesses in the mining town, its environs and deep interior.

FPAG Executive Director, Ms. Mona Bynoe noted that about 3,000 workers in the forestry industry have been affected and a meeting was being sought with the Government in an effort to address the problems.

The situation further compounded the crippling issues affecting the industry and if it continues, it is bound to prove disastrous for the sector, representatives said.