Government Signs Memorandum of Understanding With Layou Protestors

After more than six hours , residents of Layou finally ended their protest action against Gaddarkhan and unblocked the road.

Hundreds of villagers had taken to the streets early Friday morning setting up roadblocks along the main village road rendering it impassable to vehicular traffic. Apart from concerns about the significant amounts of dust let off into the atmosphere by West Indies Aggregate’s quarrying operations, residents were protesting the company’s plans to build an asphalt plant at Coco close to the Layou River. Lazarre Charles, president of the Layou Improvement Committee (LIC) said residents had been complaining for some time now that Gaddarkhan’s operations was polluting the environment, destroying their livelihoods and endangering their lives.

At one point what had started off as a peaceful protest threatened to escalate into a physical confrontation as the villagers replaced the roadblocks dismantled by the police. Resisting calls to disband, protesters vowed to hold their positions, demanding an immediate intervention from their parliamentary representative and the Prime Minister.

Although PM Skerrit was not immediately available to speak with protesters, the impasse was finally broken only after a government negotiating team comprising parliamentary representative for the area Vince Henderson, Housing and Lands Minister Reginald Austrie, Tourism Minister Ian Douglas and ALBA Coordinator Dr. Philbert Aaron met and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the LIC. The MOU called for Jack Gaddarkhan’s asphalt plant related operations, and quarrying activities to cease immediately. However neither Gaddarkhan nor any company official was present at the meeting or signatory to the MOU.

This seemed to have angered the protesters who after clearing the main road of debris to allow for the free flow of vehicular traffic blocked the entrance to the Gaddarkhan compound setting tires ablaze.

Meanwhile Minister Henderson confirmed and reassured villagers that the government had given a commitment to immediately move to stop all quarrying operations and construction of the asphalt plant pending an Environment Impact Assessment Study (EIA). However, he accused certain persons of instigating the protest and creating problems where there were none. “To call about asking for solution is ridiculous because there is not a problem. The problem is that some people have deliberately misled the people of Layou and for their own reasons have gone ahead and blown this thing out of proportion” he said.

Henderson said when the government learnt that Gaddarkhan had begun construction of the asphalt plant a stop order was issued on the company on October 27.  It read in part, “You are hereby prohibited and directed to immediately cease and decease from carrying out or continuing this activity noted above which constitutes a breach of the Planning Control Act or other activities so closely associated therewith as to constitute substantially the same activity.” Gaddarkhan had apparently begun construction of the plant without permission from the Physical Planning Division. Following the stop order “he was advised” according to Henderson “that in order for him to get permission he would have to submit his application [and]carry out an Environment Impact Assessment Study.” None of these had been received by Friday protest action

Two stop orders were also served on the quarrying operations in Layou.  However, Minister Henderson noted that while the company “complied to a certain extent…there have been complaints by the residents that there is not enough compliance and s a result would like to see all quarrying operations ceased in the area.” That however, notwithstanding government’s commitment to “move to see that happen,” “will be dependent on Physical Planning and the Physical Planning Corporation and their ability to, with cause, revoke the license of the operator in the area” Henderson said.

Gaddarkhan confirmed receipt of the stop order in October. He however denied starting construction on the plant without government’s permission. “We’ve only cleaned the place and we only make some concrete work. No element of the asphalt plant has been mounted up’ he said. Presently Gaddarkhan is in the process of seeking permission from government. “We have our asphalt plant in Dominica more than three months. We have made an application for the license also and we have prepared an EIA that the government will have very soon” he said..

However, Gaddarkhan who also admitted several meetings with the Planning Division said they had complied with their requests most of the time. He noted however, the quarry had not received “any complaints from the people” and was therefore surprised at the protest on Friday.

For now, the power of the people has prevailed. However, Gaddarkhan does not anticipate any hiccups and hopes to move on with the construction of the asphalt plant and quarrying operations. Some residents of Layou on the other hand are demanding that Gaddarkhan never again operates in their community. This problem therefore may not be necessarily fully resolved.

Government Signs Memorandum of Understanding With Layou Protestors10.0101