Amid impenetrable bush taller than a human, unseen birds chirp, insects buzz and occasionally some reptiles can be seen. No, you are not in the jungle but rather in parts of the Tuschen New Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo.
A number of house lots in the scheme are unoccupied and covered in bush and residents have complained of the thick plant growth providing hiding places for thieves. Hire-car drivers too are upset stating that the plants, many of which grow across the road, scratch their cars.
Chairman of the Tuschen Community Development Council (CDC) Neville James, while acknowledging that there was little that could be done by the council because of limited funds, told Stabroek News that some self-help work had been undertaken by concerned persons.
He said Minister of Housing and Water Harrinarine Nawbatt, on a visit to the community late last year, had given persons who have not occupied their house lots, up to April to start building or else the house lots would be repossessed.
James said that attempts had been made to get in touch with those persons to at least get them to clean up their lots but not all were contacted.
He said some hire-car drivers, whom he met with, had undertaken to chop down some of the encroaching plants and this had been done in some areas. “Some people are voluntarily doing it on their own,” he added. He acknowledged that he had received complaints about the bushes stating that persons had said that they could not work late because of a fear of being robbed when returning home in the nights through the bushy dark areas. He noted that petty thieves were rampant and “the bush is encouraging a lot of people”.
One resident, who declined to be named, said the large tracts of government-owned land, which were filled with thick plant growth, should be cleared. He said while the government was asking residents to clean up their lots, the government-owned land had the thickest bush and these were not being cleared.
The resident said that the bushes clog drains resulting in slow drainage whenever rain falls and reptiles such as snakes made their homes there. The resident called on the Central Planning and Housing Authority (CH&PA) to look at the thick bushes. “Seeing that we are under the CH&PA, they suppose to look after this,” he said. He noted that there were lots of reports of crime in the area and persons had said that the thieves ran into the bushes afterwards.
The resident also said that the bushes contributed to accidents, as it was impossible to have a clear view of the road.
The deterioration of some of the roads was a cause for concern too and James said he would contact the Regional Administration to see if any assistance could be rendered in the form of equipment. He said the council was also trying to source funds to do some work as the CDC had no funds.
James said that about 3,000 people currently live in the scheme with more moving in daily.
