WE think it is time to act. Enough has been said and enough has been seen. Marshon is in decadence. This is so because the ‘authorities that be’ are totally silent. These ‘persons with vested authority are acting in a most irresponsible manner.
Maybe, it is not just irresponsibility, but their normal self. We mean at least three important leaders saw what had begun to happen, and now the area is in a state of negative expansion.
We can go back to the 2011 National and Regional Elections, when the now President, Donald Ramotar, Anil Nandlall (current Attorney General) and Irfaan Ali, still head of Housing and Water and now acting head of Tourism, visited the area and saw the sign: ‘Squatting’. They did promise to address the matter. Now it seems as if they have forgotten completely.
These squatters are responsible for the horrible ‘fishy’ reek that blows from the north-east. Now this stench is very uncomfortable. It makes for all kinds of adjustments – keeping windows closed, staying indoors, etc. In the general area, a lot of ‘fish businesses’ are being done, but these are way out, and very close to the actual Seawall. These squatters have no consideration whatsoever.
Now get this, many times, the entrails, skeletons (bones) and heads of these various kinds of fishes are just dumped in the drain that runs across the dam, that leads off from the once High Dam.
The road is now good, but what sense does it make when travelling is easy, but ‘living’ is difficult. The longer this goes on, the worse it becomes for all of us. We speak here on behalf of the many affected people. First it was the smell, and this has descended into a blocked drain. What’s next?
Well here is the answer.
The number of squatting abodes is on the rise, and the children’s playfield is being rudely invaded. This area was a swampy mess. Many times, government refused to give any kind of aid in converting this marsh. Now that the villagers have ‘made something out of nothing’ it is being encroached upon by the insensitive group of squatters.
Again, we call on the authorities to simply get up and do the right thing.

EDITOR’S NOTE: While we sympathise with the people of the area, we wish to advise that squatting in the first place is a legacy of the former PNC government which ruled this country without a housing policy or a Ministry of Housing. It was a time when housing was a no-no situation for all Guyanese, and the people resorted to squatting left, right and centre. This government has opened up housing schemes all over the country, and thousands of Guyanese have been given house lots, something which the PNC was never able to do.
Minister Irfaan Ali has only recently recognised the need for people to desist from squatting on all state reserves. When state reserves are used for squatting purposes, this constitutes a breach of the laws of Guyana, and people should vacate same as quickly as possible. This government has, since 1992, regularised hundreds of squatter settlements. When these settlements are regularised only then they could be given access to proper roads, drainage, water and electricity, etc.
Therefore, it is clear that if the area you spoke about is an illegal squatter settlement, nothing could be done and the government would have to make moves to have them removed. We advise that you lead a small delegation (perhaps the same three persons that penned the above letter) to the Ministry of Housing and explain your plight to the minister who is a human and would listen to you.