Residents of Vilvoorden and neighbouring Fairfield on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two, say they are “living in ashes” — choking daily on thick clouds of dust and smoke from the Vilvoordeen Investment Inc’s rice mill, an operation they have accused of destroying their quality of life and refusing to heed to years of complaints and official intervention.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has confirmed that the long-running environmental dispute is before the courts, with the mill being given until December to comply with a series of directives aimed at curbing the pollution. But for many residents, that decision lacks enforcement.
The frustration boiled over on Monday when a 38-year-old schoolteacher from Vilvoorden was arrested after he entered the rice mill’s compound and threw a container of muddy material inside the office — an act residents described as a desperate protest. Police said the teacher was released on $15,000 station bail pending a court appearance.
Following the arrest, residents took to social media to vent their anger, calling out both local authorities and the government for what they say is continued neglect of their suffering.
Abdool Saib Shameer, a vocal resident who has faced a $12 million libel suit from the rice mill’s owners over previous pollution claims, alleged that the “mud” thrown was not ordinary mud but a mixture of dust and ashes collected from homes covered daily by emissions from the mill.
“This is the same dust that babies, children, adults and the elderly are living in 24/7,” Shameer wrote.
“We exhausted all legal avenues, reached out to all authorities and still we continue to suffer. No money can fix our health.”
Head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Kemraj Parsaram, confirmed that the EPA has been monitoring the matter closely.
“We’ve been dealing with it, and it is in court,” Parsaram told News Room on Monday.
“Earlier this month, the court issued an order giving the rice mill until December to comply with the directions given by the EPA.”
Among the EPA’s directives is the immediate removal of massive heaps of paddy husk stored on the mill’s compound — one of which has reportedly been burning, sending plumes of smoke into the air and across the community.
The order was clear: remove the paddy heap immediately, control the fire, and ensure no further burning takes place, Parsaram explained.
However, despite these interventions, residents say the pollution continues. Many have posted daily videos and photographs on social media showing thick dust clouds swirling through their yards, coating their roofs and blanketing nearby crops.
Public protests have been held since 2022, with residents insisting that the environmental damage has reached intolerable levels.
Efforts to contact the owner of the rice mill were unsuccessful, but a resident, Sameer Khan, wrote in defence of the business, urging a balanced view of the situation.
Khan explained that the rice mill has existed for over four decades, initially established with the full consent of villagers who wanted jobs and economic growth. He argued that much of the current dust problem stems from natural conditions and climate change, not deliberate negligence by the owners.
He said the current owner, Mr. Nazeemul Hakh, inherited a series of unresolved environmental issues when he took over the facility in 2019 but has since invested in enclosing the mill and adopting mitigation measures as instructed by the EPA.
“There are visible things that were done to combat the dust,” Khan continued. “It costs money, time, effort and energy. Changes take time — it will not happen overnight.”
“If we take him out of operations, how many people will be affected?” Khan asked.
“Many of these same villagers sell their paddy to the mill. We need to find solutions, not chaos.”
Residents, however, maintain that they have “tried everything.” They have filed complaints with the EPA, written to regional authorities, protested publicly and even taken legal action — yet the dust and smoke persist.
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