Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal on Friday, visited new housing developments along the East Bank of Demerara to assess the progress of ongoing infrastructure works.
During his visit, Minister Croal, along with a team of engineers and contractors, inspected six blocks – four in Great Diamond (Blocks One, Three, Five and Seven) and two in Golden Grove including Blocks Nine and 13.
The completion of infrastructure work in these areas will allow 5,300 persons who were allocated house lots in these areas, access to their lands.
In Block Three Great Diamond, some 541 residential house lots were allocated; Block One, 1,200 lots, and Block Seven, 600 lots. The remaining blocks were allocated at Blocks Nine and 13 in Golden Grove.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the pace of work, noting that the infrastructure development in the six blocks alone is valued at $17.1 billion.
These works include land preparation, road networking, and the installation of water distribution systems.
Minister Croal acknowledged that some allottees have been waiting since 2021 when their land was allocated. He assured them that infrastructure works are moving apace and residents will commence identifying their house lots by the end of the year.
While some utility works, such as electricity installation, will extend into the new year, majority of the infrastructure is almost complete.
“By and large, most of the Great Diamond portion, persons will be able to start seeing their lot at the end of this year, and then…about 25 per cent of that will be shown very early into the new year,” he assured the allottees.
The minister further explained that Block One was at a disadvantage, where the contractor was unable to access the lands in a timely manner.
“That is why we are doing a reassessment as to what is happening and make some decisions,” he said.
Minister Croal highlighted the various difficulties encountered in securing access to the lands.
“The East Bank in itself, as we went inwards, which will be more eastward closer to the conservancy, posed initial challenges…This entire area actually, when we took over was flooded, basically wetlands,” he pointed out.
Minister Croal also reminded contractors of the importance of timely completion of projects and quality work. He said those who consistently deliver high-quality work will be considered for future projects.
Meanwhile, the housing and water minister said the government has exhausted all the lands available for housing on the East Bank Demerara.
Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth has already written the Central Housing and Planning Authority
warning the agency against exceeding the ‘buffer zone.’
In February this year, some $56.8 billion in contracts, representing Guyana’s largest housing infrastructure development programme, were signed for the execution of infrastructure works such as roads, bridges, culverts, and electrical networks across Regions Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven and Ten.
