40 families relocated from Zeelugt sea defence, drainage reserve

The relocation of persons occupying the sea defence and drainage reserve areas at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) is progressing with majority of affected families already resettled in a new housing scheme. Housing Minister Collin Croal on Friday visited the Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) community to engage residents on the relocation process and address any concerns they may have. He was accompanied by Community Development Director Gladwin Charles, along with several technical officers from the Ministry. During the visit, Croal expressed satisfaction with the progress made thus far, noting that while a few occupants have shown some reluctance to relocate, the overall exercise has been moving forward as planned. At the start of the inventory exercise, a total of 48 structures were documented along the Zeelugt Sea Defence and Drainage Reserve. As part of the relocation initiative however, 34 of these structures have since been demolished. In addition, 40 households have been allocated house lots in a new housing area, with many families already resettled. In a statement from the Housing Ministry, residents expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by the Government throughout the relocation process. While acknowledging that relocating can present challenges for families, the Housing Minister assured residents that the Government remains committed to making the transition as smooth as possible and noted that discussions will continue with other agencies to further streamline the relocation process and provide additional support where necessary. Also on Friday, Croal and the team visited the Parika Waterfront area, EBE, to engage residents and assess the progress of the relocation exercise. According to the Housing Ministry, relocation efforts for families residing along the Parika Sea Dam continue to progress steadily as part of preparations for the construction of the $4.2 billion modern international port facility at the Parika Waterfront. During the visit, Minister Croal had reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to ensuring that the relocation process is conducted in a fair and orderly manner while advancing a major national development initiative. While the majority of households have largely cooperated with the Ministry, there are six families remaining to be relocated from the area.
These relocation initiatives are part of efforts to address informal settlements in vulnerable areas.

“Zero-tolerance”
Just last month, during the consideration of the 2026 Budget Estimates in the National Assembly for the Housing Ministry, Croal had indicated that there would be heightened efforts this year to relocate persons from what he described as “zero-tolerance” areas. The Zeelugt Sea Defence and Drainage Reserve were among those areas as well as the Zeelugt Burial Ground and Parika Sea Dam. Other zero tolerance areas in Region Three that Ministry will be relocating persons from this year include Plastic City, Best Railway Line, Greenwich Park Sea Defence, Anna Catherina Sea Defence, Cornelia Ida Sea Defence, Ruby Back Dam, Tuschen Sea Defence, Plantation Vergenoegen, Good Hope Drainage Reserve, and Wallers Delight Drainage Reserve. “In all of those areas… we have identified that those persons have to relocate. Those are what we call zero tolerance,” the Housing Minister had stated in the National Assembly. Meanwhile, as part of the Housing Ministry’s $159.4 billion Budget allocation for 2026, is some $1.1 billion earmarked for the regularisation of informal settlements. “So, we intended to address all these areas this year,” Croal noted. According to the Housing Minister, there is an aggressive programme to address squatting across the country in the same aggression that is being applied to addressing those applications that came through the system.

Back in July 2024, President Dr Irfaan Ali had reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to resolving squatting at Zeelugt North, commonly referred to as Sideline Dam, in Region Three. During an impromptu visit to the area, the Guyanese Leader emphasised that the existing conditions were not conducive to a good quality of life and did not provide a safe environment for children. He further pledged the Government’s continued support in relocating affected residents to safer and more developed housing schemes, ensuring improved living conditions for families.