Andyville residents seek regularisation for the squatter community
The Andyville community, located aback Blueberry Hill, Wismar, Linden, has been in existence for over 10 years, and the residents of the remote Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) squatter settlement remain hopeful that now the community will be regularised.
The area where pipelines were laid
There are more than 50 homes in the community, but the lack of electricity, potable water and proper roads remain a cause for worry of families of the close-knit community. The squatter settlement is named after its first resident André ‘Andy’ Seaton who recently told Guyana Times that, even after so many years in existence, it has been a struggle to keep the community going.
He explained that initially Andyville was just an area whose residents were not vociferous in the fight for development. However, as the population increased, the fight for development has become a priority.
“That is how it start, like behind dark doors. Like we never really go forward to certain people and we never really been attended to…It’s a lot of work I put in to like defend this place to let it remain, because it was a dump at first…I had to stop Town Council from littering, because is good land,” he stated.
In an effort to provide potable water to residents, the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) recently commenced laying pipelines at the entrance of Andyville. Residents have also assisted with that effort. Many residents revealed that they are grateful, as it is the first step towards receiving potable water in the community.
“Some standpipes they say they will start with before they start distribute to the houses until certain things regularise. I ain’t really know what is the regularisation that they got to regularise,” Seaton noted.
A construction worker by trade, Seaton also operates a shop outside his home, and admitted that it has not been easy to do so without electricity. This is also a concern for residents in the area.
“It is hard, real hard ’cause certain things you can’t even bring to sell. You got to close up early, you got to bring blocks of ice from out front and these things. About $500 for a block of ice, so it’s real hard,” Seaton said.
Adding to the list of concerns, he explained that there is an ongoing dispute with residents who live in proximity of the Andyville area. The dispute, he explained, was fuelled by those who live in the plot of land, who came up with a different name for the section they live in. So intense was the dispute, he noted that surveyors who were conducting work in the area eventually abandoned the project. This, residents believe has further stymied the process of development.
“I would like to see development, at least for the youths that coming up, because it’s done a living area,” Seaton said.
He added that residents were expected to meet with officials of the Housing Ministry to discuss the regularisation of the community.
“Cause remember they might got to give we land titles and have the place survey out, so must be that they coming to brief we on”, he said.
Residents said they will continue to remain hopeful that the community becomes regularised so that they can pursue developmental activities.
