Africa-Press – Cape verde. Truck drivers in São Vicente reiterated their plea this Saturday for authorities to find alternatives for sand extraction, which has been “very difficult” on the island, to the point of hindering their livelihood and the ability to meet their responsibilities.
The appeal was made to Inforpress by the spokesperson for about 20 truck drivers facing the same situation, according to José João do Rosário.
The group decided today to block the passage of people who were removing sand from the North Bahia region to place it on Laginha beach, which will host a stage of the world beach volleyball circuit next week.
According to the same source, they adopted this action because they were only authorized to collect sand in the “Salgadin” (Salamansa) area, after encountering the same problem of sand shortage in Lazareto in February of this year.
Meanwhile, according to José João do Rosário, they are currently facing the same problem in Salgadin, which “has no more sand.”
The embarrassment is affecting the livelihood of truck drivers and the supply of sand to construction companies in São Vicente, according to the same source.
“But if the city hall authorizes other people to extract sand from North Bahia, why can’t we?” questioned the spokesperson, accusing the city hall of “giving to certain people, while others receive nothing.”
Hence the appeal for the authorities to resolve the impasse, since, according to the same source, the truck drivers also have responsibilities, as in his case, with rent payments and a loan to buy his car.
The blockade they set up in North Bahia has already been dismantled, due to the intervention of the National Police, but José do Rosário now hopes for an intervention “as soon as possible” in favor of the group, which has also contacted the Delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, but “still without answers.”
When confronted by Inforpress, the city councilor for the Environment, José Carlos da Luz, assured that the issue of extracting inert materials “has nothing to do with the city hall,” but is rather the “exclusive responsibility” of the National Directorate of the Environment, with whom the reporter was unable to establish contact.
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