Africa-Press – Liberia. This sustained disruption of the river’s natural bed, residents warn, could soon lead to the collapse of homes and critical infrastructure in the area.
Residents of Caldwell are sounding the alarm over increasing erosion along the banks of the St. Paul River, which they say is being worsened by relentless sand mining operations.
An investigation by FrontPage Africa has uncovered that machines frequently drill into the riverbed to extract sand, which is then piped to collection points for commercial use.
This sustained disruption of the river’s natural bed, residents warn, could soon lead to the collapse of homes and critical infrastructure in the area.
Speaking to FPA on Monday, May 5, resident Michael Doe urged the government to take swift preventive action. “We want the government to build up the banks of the river with huge stockpiles of rocks, like what was done in New Kru Town,” he said. “If the banks are heavily built up, it will help prevent any imminent erosion.”
Echoing this concern, Mary Williams stressed the urgency of the situation. “We are raising the alarm to save lives,” she said. “The government needs to intervene now before it’s too late.”
Beyond the environmental risks, residents also lamented the lack of meaningful community benefits from the sand mining operations. Elderly resident Samuel Cooper criticized the sand mining company, Grass Roots Sand Beach, for failing to uphold promises of community support and development.
According to Cooper, the only financial support residents receive is a US$5.00 fee per truckload of sand, with 15% going to the Township Commissioner and the rest held in an account for communal emergencies. “That’s all we get,” he said. “There’s no social responsibility plan in place that genuinely benefits us.”
He also disclosed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was drafted years ago, proposing employment for residents, direct access to sand revenue, and inclusion in local development efforts. However, he claimed that the company has refused to sign the agreement for six years. “The MOU was crafted, edited, and ready,” he said, “but Grass Roots Sand Beach has yet to sign it.”
Residents continue to call on the national government to step in—not only to prevent further environmental destruction, but also to hold the company accountable and ensure that affected communities are not left behind as profits are made from their natural resources.
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