The depressed community of Plastic City, located on the foreshore of Vreed-en-Hoop, West Demerara, has been earmarked to be regularised, according to Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal, pending his decision on relocation or settlement. However, residents are sceptical.
When Stabroek News visited the community, residents said that a team who claimed to represent the Ministry of Housing and Water visited and marked their houses with numbers. The team, the residents said, explained that their purpose was to collect data on the community’s population. Residents said they were asked to fill out forms and informed that they would need to visit the Ministry’s Brickdam office. However, Croal said no team has visited the area recently to gather information on the community and its residents. He then explained that the area was earmarked to be regularised, but a decision was yet to be made on whether residents would be relocated or remain. Stabroek News was given a tour by residents who shared mixed opinions about their quality of life in the community. Plastic City accommodates approximately 200 families, and the community’s current population reflects an increase compared to last year; there is a recognizable increase in the number of makeshift houses on the swamp. At the entrance to the community, conditions for living can be described as ‘more’ favourable, compared to the shacks closer to the sea surrounded by thick clumps of mangroves and debris. A concrete strip provides access to the shabby houses.
