Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal and Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Sonia Parag recently conducted a walkthrough in Cane Grove, Mahaica, to engage residents and address pressing community concerns. The visit followed an earlier engagement in October and was prompted by a request from the Cane Grove/Mahaica Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) to discuss persistent flooding issues caused by inadequate internal drainage systems.

During the visit, Minister Croal highlighted two primary concerns raised by residents: drainage and squatting. “In the area of Cane Grove, we found that squatting is still a major problem,” he said. He explained that 55 squatters had expressed interest in being regularized within the community, but the land in question requires further investigation.

Although regularization was deemed impossible due to the location of the squatting on the dam, the squatters were provided with paperwork to legally apply for housing lots. “We will work to identify a suitable piece of land to relocate these families,” Minister Croal assured.
In addition to addressing squatting and drainage, residents called for an increase in streetlights to enhance safety in the neighbourhood. The condition of two community grounds was another key concern, with residents advocating for their development to benefit local youth.

Minister Croal disclosed that Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports Charles Ramson is expected to visit Cane Grove within the next two weeks to discuss plans for the grounds and their potential impact on the community’s young people.
“This is what we signed up for—to serve the people,” Minister Croal emphasized. “Our government is committed to improving the lives of Guyanese, starting from the community level, and this visit to Mahaica is just one of many.”

The walkthrough also included technical officers from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), led by Director of Community Development Gladwin Charles, as well as representatives from the Cane Grove NDC, including its chairperson and council members.

The ministers reiterated their commitment to ongoing engagement with communities across Guyana, emphasizing that the government remains focused on addressing local needs to promote sustainable development and improve residents’ quality of life.