Itabali residents want land to stop ‘house yard burials’, poor garbage disposal

Residents of Itabali, a small community situated south of Karambaru in Lower Mazaruni, Region Seven, have lobbied President Irfaan Ali to help them secure lands for a burial ground and a landfill site for garbage disposal.

During a meeting with President Ali on Wednesday, the issue was raised by a resident who identified herself as Colleen Singh.

Singh said residents sent an application to the Lands and Surveys Commission in 2016, requesting that land is made available to be used as a burial ground for the community.

But there has been no response and Singh said residents continue to bury their dead relatives in their yards, many times in close proximity to their houses.

“It is important because residents are burying their loved ones in their yard and it is not healthy for the community.

“Therefore, we are in desperate need of our own burial ground,” Singh said during a community meeting at the Bartica Center Ground.

Another sore issue she said, was that there is no designated place in the community for garbage disposal.

“We had land but that’s now someone’s land… I raised this in 2016 and to date, nothing has been done

“We are hoping you will assist us through your office by speaking to Lands and Surveys to give us two plots of land, one for burial and one for garbage disposal and the EPA will come on to give us some guidance,” Singh added.

On the bright side, she said a company operating in the area – ETK Inc. – has agreed to drill a water well free of cost for the community and the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) has already notified residents that it can be done within the next two weeks.

However, she said the Lands and Surveys Commission has not been positive in agreeing for land already identified by the Council to be used.

“If this issue is not addressed now, we will not be able to get this well that will benefit all residents,” Singh further pleaded.

The President, in turn committed, to having the issues addressed.