Authorities are investigating the death of Kapil Ramsamuj, a 41-year-old headmaster from Bonasika Creek Primary School, located along the Essequibo River. Ramsamuj, who also resided in the Zeelugt New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, reportedly died under tragic circumstances on August 12.
According to information provided by Ramsamuj’s sister, Vimla, her brother allegedly ingested poison that day. Following the incident, Ramsamuj was initially taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital but was later transferred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital for further treatment.
Unfortunately, he succumbed to his condition at the West Demerara Regional Hospital the same day.
Vimla recounted that she received a distressing phone call informing her that her brother had consumed poison. At approximately 19:40 hrs on Monday, while at the Parika Police Station to report the incident, she received another call notifying her of her brother’s death.
The body is currently at Ezekiel Funeral Home, where preparations are being made for a post-mortem examination. The examination is scheduled for Friday to determine the exact cause of death.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ramsamuj’s death. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
“We know there is a problem with labor. Now that Guyana is experiencing massive development, it is becoming difficult to find labor. There are so many options and opportunities available to citizens, so rather than working in the cane fields, people are choosing to work in other sectors. This is why we are putting things in place to mechanize the sector,” he explained.
Minister Mustapha also said that there are some infrastructural works to be done in the fields and that GuySuCo will be guided as to how it should go about executing those works. He also said that a long boom excavator will be sent to the estate within the next two weeks to assist with those works.
“In another two weeks, we’ll send a long boom excavator here to assist with infrastructural works. We’ll also work to do remedial work on some of the main dams like the Pumpkin Dam and Boderust Dam, so that you can access the Tiger Dam and other parts of the cultivation area,” the Minister assured.
Banks DIH Ltd. is proud to announce the successful launch of its subsidiary, BASI, which was commemorated with a grand opening ceremony on July 26, 2024 at the company’s location, Block ‘X’ Plantation Ruimveldt, Guyana.
BASI, incorporated in May 2019, has been active in various sectors since its inception. A key highlight of its operations is the collaboration with Daikin Applied Latin America LLC, the world’s largest air conditioner manufacturer, known for its high-quality products and standards.
On July 26, 2024, a significant milestone was achieved with the signing of a Non-Exclusive Distribution Agreement between Daikin Applied Latin America LLC and BASI. This agreement officially designates Banks Automotive and Services Inc. as the authorized distributor of Daikin products in Guyana.
Through this collaboration, BASI will offer a comprehensive range of Daikin products, including residential and commercial air conditioning systems. The company will provide full-service support for Daikin products, including installation, maintenance, and technical services. This partnership ensures that customers in Guyana will receive top-quality service and reliable climate control solutions.
Dredging of the East Demerara water conservancy during the recent drought resulted in a buildup of sludge which contaminated the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) Shelterbelt, resulting in the distribution the ‘rusty’ water in Central Georgetown.
To remedy the situation, GWI Chief Executive Officer, Shaik Baksh on Thursday said immediate measures were taken to flush out the system.
And with “significant” improvements already, Baksh said the water supply is likely to return to a normalcy by this weekend.
“Because of the dreading of that canal in the conservancy area during the drought, the long drought, the longest in years, a lot of sludge built up in the canal and with the heavy rainfall it moved down into our systems here, our reservoirs.
“We are very much concern about situation and the effect supply has been having on households as a whole and we do apologize for situation which we consider was unavoidable,” Baksh said during a press conference to address the issue on Thursday.
According to Baksh, the issue was first recognised on July 15.
Upon checking, he said it was recognised that the sedimentation load coming through the Shelter Belt plant was extremely high.
“As a matter of fact, we never experienced such as high sedimentation load in all of the years,” Baksh said.
So to respond, he said a team was immediately dispatched to the conservancy. Upon discovering the cause of the issue, Baksh explained that additional labour was procured the two canals at Shelter Belt was clean.
The western canal was completed in two weeks and the eastern canal is expected to be completed by Friday.
“The system is being flushed out and with the process ongoing, already seeing improvements.
We are seeing some great relief. We have taken samples of the water on a regular basis and we have seen through the flushing of the canals that the water quality and the water colour in particular is improving,” Baksh explained.
Characteristically, GWI Water Quality Specialist, Dr Deon Anderson said the water quality of the Shelter Belt plant would usually be around 15 to 20 units but with the current occurrence, he said it went up to 400 units.
“What this means, all treatment plants are designed to handle specific load that is characteristic of the source…If the load changes, the entire system comes under strain.
“…They all become overburden and therefore what you had was an overloading in the system and hence a buildup of the sediments,” Dr Anderson explained.
Highlighting that GWI is concerned about the situation, Baksh said the situation totally beyond the company’s control.
“It is one of those situations that occurs once in a lifetime. It is a phenomenal that was never experienced,” he said.
And to avoid reoccurrence, he added there is a need for greater coordination between East Demerara water conservancy, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority and GWI.
In the intern, Baksh said GWI is prepare to consider relief to affected customers.
The government, through the Ministry of Natural Resources, has been working to restart the operations of Troy Resources and Rusal in Guyana.
The ministry has been consulting local and international companies firstly to explore recommencing operations at Troy Resources in the Karouni Mine, Region Seven.
This is according to the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat during his mid-year press conference on Tuesday at the Guyana Forestry Commission Complex, Kingston, Georgetown.
Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat speaking during a press conference on Wednesday
“I can tell you safely that I met with about three or four groups that are a mixture of Guyanese and international investors that are interested in the Troy Resources area.
Two of them, we have afforded the opportunity to take their technical staff into the area to do their independent assessment of the plant, the mining pit, and some amount of drilling to determine the resources that are there,” the minister disclosed during the media briefing.
He added that two more companies will receive a similar opportunity.
When the process is completed, the companies will have to return with a firm proposal.
Initially, the government had started with putting together a local consortium.
However, Minister Bharrat noted that there is a possibility of having a mixture of local miners and foreign investors, since the operations require massive investment for it to restart.
Additionally, the minister added that 112 small mineral properties have been allocated to small-scale miners within area of Troy Resources. These persons are all Guyanese.
Since the shutdown of the property sometime last year, it has been in the care of the state.
It includes areas such as the living quarters, the administrative section, as well as the processing plant and the mineral pits.
There is also the full-time presence of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
Meanwhile, the ministry is also working to restart operations at Rusal, a Russian-owned bauxite company.
“We are working to restart the operations at Troy Resources, and at some time too, we want to restart the Rusal operation. That is with Rusal or any other investor. We don’t know as yet but we are committed to restarting those two major operations,” Minister Bharrat stated. [DPI]
body was discovered along the Eccles, East Bank Demerara dumpsite road last Saturday died as a result of drowning. The woman’s sister, Sabrina Sooknanan confirmed the findings with the News Room on Wednesday.
The next day, she asked her mother, Charlotte Sooknanan, for money to go to Diamond. Her body was later found in the trench at Eccles Industrial Site.
Angela was discovered face-down in the trench. Police said she was clad in long black tights, a grey armless top, and one-side slippers.
Notably, her face was swollen, and what appeared to be a mixture of blood and water was observed flowing from the nostrils.
Angela would have celebrated her birthday on Friday.
“I feel very sad and bad because she was my sister for so many years.
I don’t know what transpire. If when the driver drop her off, if she walk till to Eccles or what. I don’t know if she fall in or what transpire. I don’t know how she drown,” Subrina told the News Room.
During an interview with the News Room, Subrina shared her efforts to locate Angela after she did not return home.
“The driver said he took her to Diamond and dropped her off in Ruimveldt. He said Angela did not wanted to return to Kitty. He said she was behaving bad. So apparently he dropped her off and leave her. But we didn’t know or else I would have gone around the area and look for her.
“Saturday I went and made some checks around the seawall and Stabroek Market and so on but we didn’t see her,” Subrina explained.
According to Subrina, Angela left home in the past and returned.
“She does normally go out and come back but after we didn’t see her, She left home in the past already but returned.
“This time she left and we didn’t even see her back,” Subrina said.