By Louise Jobe
Lamin Kanteh, a senior officer at the Geology Department, has denied that his department issued licences to companies or those engaged in sand mining within the coastline of Gunjur. Mr Kanteh made this disclosure during an interview with this reporter in his office on Monday, 19 August 2024.
‘‘The Geology Department is indeed responsible for issuing licenses but before they do, they have to consult the National Environment Agency (NEA), to conduct an environmental impact assessment before issuing a licence,’’ he explained.
He said no sand mining companies are mining in these places but unscrupulous individuals, drivers, and truck owners who pretend to represent the land owners engage in these activities. He said the Geology Department in collaboration with the NEA, has made tremendous efforts to stop these illegal sand mining activities. However, he said the sand miners persisted and operated at odd hours like during the night.
According to Kanteh, no licence was given to a company since the sand mining stopped in the area in 2022. He added that the Geology Department has since then, supported tree planting in these areas, which is still ongoing.
When asked about the measures they are taking to stop illegal sand mining within the coastline of Gunjur, Mr. Kanteh could not explain the current measures deployed.
Local land owners, truck drivers, and truck owners continue to mine sand almost every day and during the night in Gunjur.
