Moonilal halts quarrying on Northern Range near Asa Wright centre

The deforested area in the Northern Range where National Quarries Ltd

Environment Minister Dr. Roodal Moonilal on Tuesday ordered an immediate halt to quarrying operations on a mountain ridge of the Northern Range facing the Asa Wright nature centre.

Moonilal said a tree replanting programme would begin immediately to repair the damage done to the environment.

On Monday officials of the the centre urged government to stop the quarrying that is being done by the state-owned National Quarries Limited (NQL) and begin the restoration of the area.

“We are calling for urgent completion and adoption of the National Physical Development Plan and that the activity of quarrying be reinstated to the list of activities under the Designated Activities Order immediately,” the chairman of the centre, Judith Gobin said at a media briefing.

The previous Manning PNM Government removed quarrying from the list, taking away the EMA's jurisdiction of such operations.

Late last year Moonilal announced the Government’s intention to return jurisdiction over all quarrying activities to the authority.

Former chairman of the centre Dr Carol James said, “This is not just an Asa Wright issue, this is a national issue. Because of quarrying we have lost our water supplies. Wildlife will be killed or driven away,” James said.

“When these mountains are destroyed, everything changes. Wind direction changes, landslides occur, flooding becomes a problem. Everything changes,” James declared.