THE Graham’s Hall Primary school will be used as a shelter for the squatters occupying GuySuCo’s lands at Success on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), according to Senior Response Officer of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Captain Salim October.

On Sunday, officers of the CDC visited the Success squatting area to conduct a registration and verification exercise, aiming to provide some assistance to the squatters. There, squatters have been occupying the Success lands that belong to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for months. Recently, however, the corporation has begun flooding the lands to prepare for the resumption of cultivation after years of dormancy.

“Though the flood here has been man-induced, we still have a responsibility to ensure that residents remain safe and some of their needs are addressed,” Captain October told the Guyana Chronicle in an invited comment. He explained that a temporary shelter at the Graham’s Hall Primary School, on the ECD, has been prepared for squatters to move into.

The shelter has been prepared for those squatters who are in a “vulnerable” situation, with no clear housing alternative currently. Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, said recently that squatting at Success is a “no-no” but many squatters have been lamenting that they have nowhere else to go because of the harsh economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, as part of plans to revitalise the sugar industry and restart production at the Enmore Estate, GuySuCo officials said that cultivation at Success is necessary. And as such, the land has been flooded as part of the preparation for cultivation.

Captain October highlighted that by staying in the inundated area, persons are susceptible to water-borne diseases and other safety concerns. As such, he emphasised that this shelter is a good option for them.

“Once we house persons within the shelter arrangement, it becomes the responsibility of the CDC and other collaborative arrangements to ensure that a 360 degrees care package is provided to all squatters,” he affirmed.

As such, the shelter will be equipped with adequate sanitisation facilities to protect the squatters against COVID-19. Adequate spacing for individuals and families is also a consideration. And, Captain October highlighted that meals will be provided. The assistance will be provided through collaboration with the respective ministries and agencies.

PROACTIVE

On Saturday, Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, met with the squatters at Success and offered to set up a temporary shelter nearby for them but this offer was not met with a favourable response.

While Captain October could not say whether any of the squatters would be going to the shelter, he indicated that the CDC is proactive.

“We do not wait until there is an escalation of a problem then to put the necessary and appropriate facilities in place. What we’re doing is anticipating that if the conditions worsen and people don’t have anywhere else to go, we do have a facility that would be ready by the end of (Sunday) for persons who need to be housed in a shelter,” he said.

Additionally, October could not definitively say how long persons will be able to stay in the shelter but related instead that the use of this shelter is contingent upon the actions other ministries or bodies may take to assist the squatters.