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…as factories’ emissions are highlightedThe issue of development lending to difficulties in the society was called into question recently, with Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran speculating that the spate of housing expansions may very well warrant a review.The Minister was at the time speaking to the problem of housing areas encroaching on decades-old factories,Troy Polamalu Steelers Jersey, thus resulting in troubling pollution problems for residents.In the recent past, residents from Cane Grove on the East Coast of Demerara and Sisters Village on the West Bank of Demerara, voiced concerns that they are being affected by emissions from factories within their areas.Early last month the Alliance for Change (AFC), in sympathising mode,Tony Gonzalez Falcons Jersey, visited the area of Cane Grove where residents were complaining of the constant emissions of dust from a rice mill. In fact the AFC had reported that the factory was spewing dangerous levels of dust thereby affecting residents’ living condition.A few days later residents at Sisters Village raised their concerns too about disturbing levels of dust that were emitted into the air as a result of the cane processing activities at the Wales Estate. This situation, they said,Lawrence Timmons Steelers Jersey, causes even more inconvenience during crop season.However, Minister Ramsaran pointed out that “what we have discovered is that there is a problem of housing areas encroaching on the factories and what we have understood is that this is a problem with development.”He pointed to the fact that previously rice factories produced just a few hundred bags of rice and paddy, but now with the improvement of these industries there is more work and more rice is being produced. This,Eric Rowe Patriots Jersey, as a result, allows for more paddy dust being in the air and that by extension creates a problem, which according to the Minister, must be addressed.He stressed too that “these are the difficulties or contradictions of development. If you are producing more sugar then there is more dust; if you are producing more rice then there is more dust too.”He noted that while entities such as the Environmental Protection Agency has a role in addressing such situations, the owner of factories also have a responsibility to protect the wellbeing of citizens.However, the Minister asserted that there is need for there to be some limit as to how near houses are built to factories because “we have to look at what will be the economic impact if we were to close these factories.Addressing the expansion of housing areas,Chris Hogan Patriots Jersey, the Minister alluded to the fact that there has been an explanation as to the state of affairs, “where a family might have had one house in the area and as its children grew up and got families of their own… they also got their own homes in the same area,Antonio Brown Steelers Jersey, thus expanding the housing situation.”According to the Minister,Ernie Stautner Steelers Jersey, there are a number of very interesting questions as it relates to this situation and “I don’t want to get involved in all of them, but I can say that the Ministry will do what it has to do.”He said too “once there are health issues they will be addressed…it will be in our report and at the same time I think there are other agencies which will be looking at the environmental issues, and I am certain that the industry itself,Clay Matthews Packers Jersey, in demonstrating good corporate and social responsibility, will be looking at that issue.”Officials of the Ministry of Health were recently dispatched to the two affected areas, among others,Andre Tippett Patriots Jersey, with a view of ascertaining the various health issues that residents face. The move, according to the Minister, came as part of the activities leading up to the PPP/C Government’s anniversary celebrations which will culminate in January 2013. |
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