Squatting along sea defenses, river banks will not be legitimized – Croal

While some areas where people had been squatting for years have been regularized, there have been instances where individuals were relocated. Since then, the government has continued to warn that no new squatting will be recognized. Despite this, squatting along sea defenses and river banks continues.

Currently, Croal said, the ministry is working on two projects: the relocation of individuals from the Demerara River Bank and the Zorg seawall area. At the Demerara River Bank, he mentioned that at least 100 people have already been relocated to areas along the East Bank of Demerara, with additional relocations being addressed. Another area that needs to be addressed is Plastic City.

To tackle this, Croal said the enforcement teams have been strengthened across the regions. “Monitoring is a challenge. We are doing so much, and in doing that, we want to encourage people to follow proper procedures. Do things the right way, and you will be addressed. At the end of the day, we want everyone to have a comfortable environment.”

The Community Development Department has a list of areas to be regularized that they are working to clear, Croal added.