Soesdyke residents raise zoning, health and concerns

Ministers Nigel Dharamlall, Priya Manickchand and Collin Coral at Soesdyke on Saturday 

The Ministry of Housing and Water and Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission will be meeting in the new week to map and tap areas along the Soesdyke Linden Highway to ensure proper planning and zoning along the area.

This decision is arrived at following a visit to a number of communities along the Soesdyke Linden Highway by President Irfaan Ali last week Wednesday who lead a ministerial delegation to the area where they met with residents.

On Saturday Ministers Collin Croal, Nigel Dharamlall and Priya Manickchand returned to the said communities as a part of a follow u visit as most of the issues raised by the residents during the President’s visit were in relations to the education, housing and water and local government sectors.

As it relates to the education sector, the education sector, residents requested assistance from the Ministry to implement a system that would allow students from the community to travel to school whenever school reopens. They indicated that lack of transportation was one of the reasons which prevented many children along the Soesdyke Linden Highway from attending school.

A section of the crowd at one of the meetings Saturday

Access to regional health services and community roads were also raised and the Ministry of Local Government has made a commitment to explore all avenues to bring services to the residents along the Soesdyke Linden Highway. Those initiatives are however expected to work in sync with the proper zoning of the area.

As it relates to housing and water, residents requested the ministry to seek areas where they can be allocated lands for residential purposes.

One of the challenges pointed out for the proper distribution of water in the area is the fact that persons are living in clusters along the highways, many of whom are squatting and are stretched out.

As a result, the installation of a water network to effectively serve all those who dwell in the area is being looked at by the Guyana Water Inc.

Technical officers from all three ministries present on Saturday were also on the ground as part of the engagement with the residents.