Forestry Commission cracks down on unlicenced lumberyards
By Christopher Yaw
Stabroek News
January 8, 2004
Rohit's Lumber Yard at Industry Front, on the East Coast. (Ken Moore photo)
The Guyana Forestry Com-mission issued a notice in yesterday's Stabroek News saying that timber industry operators and the public should not have dealings with three unlicenced East Coast lumberyards because of environmental concerns.
The notice says holders of State Forest Permissions, Timber Sales Agreements and Woodcutting Leases, among others, are requested not to sell or transact business with Rohit's, Davo and Deoraj Latchman lumberyards located on the East Coast Demerara.
Contacted yesterday by Stabroek News, the owner of Rohit's Lumber Yard at 1 Industry Front, Rohit Persaud, said, "we were issued licences for the years 2001, 2002 but when we applied for a licence for 2003 we were not successful since the officials told us that we were obstructing traffic, damaging the parapet and the dust and noise were affecting the neighbours." He added that, "to start this lumberyard we had to make a huge investment. I took a loan of $15-20M from the bank and I am worried about how I am going to pay them back if I'm not allowed to continue my operation."
Persaud told Stabroek News that he had purchased land for $19M at Good Hope and the court had ordered them to send their applications for approval. However, he has not received approval to construct a lumberyard there to date.
He said that if he receives approval to operate in Good Hope he would use the Industry property as a showcase.
This photo shows what is left of the Deoraj Latchman Lumber Yard at Enmore after it was demolished by the local authority. (Ken Moore photo)
A neighbour of Persaud's noted, "a group of us had written to the Forestry Commission, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Neighbour-hood Democratic Council (NDC), Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the police complaining about the noise nuisance, dust pollution and congestion of traffic." However, "we have not heard anything from them as yet."
At Davo's Lumberyard at 5 Railway Line, Ogle, owner Davo Pooran said, "this place used to do business alright but up to a year and a half ago Forestry said we should be closed and last year 2003 they refused to give me the licence. They say it's from higher authority that's why they can't give me the licence. I buy a piece of land over the road and they still refuse to give me the licence. I have a place in Eccles also but it is not as profitable."
He told Stabroek News that his workers are depending on him for a living and that his customers are supportive, since he saves them the trouble of going to Georgetown considering the security situation in the country.
People living in the vicinity of Davo's Lumberyard said that they are not bothered by the operations.
When Stabroek News found the Deoraj Latchman Lumberyard at Cemetery Reserve, Enmore, it was deserted. Eventually, Latch-man's son came out and said, "since 2003 we stop buying and selling lumber. We were told by the authorities that we were covering the parapet, creating dust and noise nuisance and could not get a licence. So my old man went to (a) minister who said he would visit the scene.
He came and did not like what he saw and told us we had to move.
Upon moving to this piece of land which he gave us permission to occupy and on beginning of construction they revoked the paper that the minister gave to him and the matter is in court right now."
Mohindra Chand, Deputy Forestry Commissioner at the Guyana Forestry Commis-sion said the GFC was presently sorting out the issue of unlicenced lumberyards in court.
The Environmental Pro-tection Agency, the Central Housing and Planning Authority and Guyana Forestry Commission in a joint effort to deal with this issue had said last year that they would be taking measures to clamp down on the operation of certain lumberyards.