– works ongoing for 5000 plus residential, commercial lands

SEVERAL schemes on the East Bank of Demerara are undergoing infrastructural works for over 5,000 low, moderate and middle-income residential and industrial/commercial lots that cover about 1,700 acres of land.

Approximately $19 billion will be spent on the current works that involve building access roads, bridges, culverts, water distribution systems, and drainage networks. The assignees will be able to access their lands when they are completed.

On Tuesday, the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal and Deputy Director of Projects at the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Intakab Indarjeet, inspected the projects.

The team first visited Block 1 Great Diamond, where over 1,100 house lots have been allocated. Minister Croal emphasised the strategic location of that area, as it is in close proximity to the Eccles to Great Diamond Highway, which, upon completion, will provide easier navigation between the East Bank of Demerara and Georgetown. Meanwhile, for Block 7 Great Diamond (approx. 750 house lots) and Block 11 Golden Grove (approx. 650 house lots), which are situated adjacently, Minister Croal said that the future alignment for the Ogle bypass road will be nearby.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal (center), with the Central Housing and Planning Authority team in one of the many East Bank schemes

At Block 13 Golden Grove, the Minister stated persons who were allocated Block 18 Golden Grove will now be occupying this area. He explained that the low-lying land at Block 18 posed several challenges, resulting in the delay of infrastructural works. Works at Block 13 are currently progressing, and allottees will soon be able to access the land to construct their houses, while Block 18 is now repurposed into an industrial zone.

Minister Croal expressed, “when we’ve examined the two lands, we think this is a better land. This is much more suitable for the residents for that allocation, and what we’ve done is redesigned the other block for industrial/commercial purposes because the land is slightly low”. He further noted that Blocks are expected to be renamed.

The Minister also highlighted that, in some schemes, challenges with flooding were experienced. The Deputy Director of Projects, Mr. Indarjeet, elaborated that the completion of works is anticipated to effectively address and mitigate flooding concerns in the areas.

Construction is also taking place at Golden Grove’s Block 15 and 17. According to Minister Croal, land allocations along the East Bank Demerara corridor in Region Four have been depleted, so the emphasis will shift to allocations in the East Coast Demerara schemes. The scale of ongoing construction works across the country was emphasised by Minister Croal, which amounts to approximately $64 billion and includes the construction of major highways.