With some of them having spent 40 years in the area, 47 Parika Sea Dam, Region Three squatters are to be relocated.
The move comes months after their plight was featured in the Sunday Stabroek on Christmas Day last year.
Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal on Wednesday met with the residents of as part of preparations for their relocation. He assured them that lands would be made available.
Some 47 households that have been occupying the reserve for many years are to be relocated.
An initial investigation by the Community Development Department has revealed that a total of 47 structures are occupied. These are structures where families dwell and in some instances operate businesses, a Ministry of Housing (MoH) release stated.
To date only 13 person have applied to the MoH for residential house lots, while the remainder were invited to start the process of applying. Residents were informed of the ministry’s plan to work with them to arrive at an amicable solution as it relates to relocation. The Ministry also emphasised that the area cannot be regularised.
Croal, reiterated that the sea dam and river defences are critical pieces of infrastructure that should be made easily accessible to regulatory agencies.
“This is not an isolated situation, squatting is an issue we must address and its being addressed across the country, so it not you alone, we have a similar situation on the East Bank of Demerara, so we are encouraging you to work with us as we address this issue.”
Residents were informed that the government will continue to work with existing informal settlers to have them regularised where possible. In instances where the situation is not ideal for regularisation, lands will be made available for relocation. Croal also stated that no new instance of squatting will be encouraged, as continuous monitoring will be done in communities to discourage this activity.
The Parika Sea Dam residents had lamented that they were being neglected even though squatters in other areas were being regularised.
