The Ministry of Housing has begun documenting families and structures in an informal settlement along the riverbank at Riverview, Ruimveldt, as part of a process which could result in residents being relocated.
Housing Minister Collin Croal and a team, including Director of Community Development Gladwin Charles, visited the area on Tuesday and held discussions with residents.
According to a statement from the ministry, the exercise follows a commitment made by President Irfaan Ali during a community meeting in the area last month.
Information is being collected about the circumstances of each household and will be used to determine the next phase of the exercise, including possible relocation arrangements and assistance with social problems affecting residents.
Croal said the process would require collaboration with other government agencies, including the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.
The ministry said the exercise forms part of the government’s wider effort to address squatting and unregulated settlements through relocation or regularisation, depending on the conditions in individual communities.
No timetable was provided for completing the assessment or relocating the affected households.
The proposed intervention comes more than 17 years after the Housing Ministry announced that it was examining the regularisation or removal of persons squatting along the Riverview dam. Stabroek News reported in March 2009 that the structures were obstructing access needed to clean and desilt a drainage canal. Riverview has since experienced recurrent flooding associated with spring tides, malfunctioning sluices and inadequate drainage.
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