Relocation Efforts Continue for Families Along Parika Sea Dam

Relocation efforts for families residing along the Parika Sea Dam continue to progress steadily as part of preparations for the construction of a modern international port facility at the Parika Waterfront.

Earlier today, Minister of Housing, the Hon. Collin Croal, along with a team from the Central Housing and Planning Authority visited the Parika Waterfront area to engage residents and assess the progress of the relocation exercise. The Minister was accompanied by the Director of the Community Development Department, Mr. Gladwin Charles, along with other technical officers including surveyors.
During the visit, Minister Croal reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to ensuring that the relocation process is conducted in a fair and orderly manner while advancing a major national development initiative.

“We are here at the Parika Waterfront front, which has been earmarked for the development of an international waterfront port. This represents an investment of approximately $4.2 billion and will require the relocation of several families who currently occupy the area,” the Minister explained.
He noted that the Ministry have engaged extensively with affected residents throughout the process and has received cooperation from the majority of households.
“We have engaged all the persons living here and currently only six families remain to be relocated. There has been cooperation from the residents, and in the new week we will continue engagements to facilitate their immediate relocation,” Minister Croal added.

The relocation process forms part of efforts to facilitate the development of the new port facility, which is being undertaken under Phase One of the Parika Waterfront Development Project and falls under the purview of the Ministry of Public Works.

As part of the initial groundwork for the relocation initiative, on August 22, 2025, a joint team comprising representatives from the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Department, and the Sea and River Defence Commission conducted a site visit at the Parika Waterfront Informal Settlement to inventory households occupying the area earmarked for development.

During that assessment, forty-two structures were identified, representing thirty-six households slated for relocation. Of these, thirty-six households were deemed eligible for house lot allocations, while the remaining occupants were found to have already benefited from previous allocations based on CH&PA’s records.

Significant progress has since been made in the allocation of house lots to affected families. To date, twenty-eight households have received allocations, while six allocations remain pending as the Authority continues to finalise the process.

The relocation itself is also advancing. Fourteen households have already successfully moved from the Parika Sea Dam to their newly allocated house lots. An additional twenty-two families are expected to relocate shortly and will receive logistical support from CH&PA, as they prepare to settle into the new area.

Despite the overall cooperation of residents throughout the relocation process, some concerns have been raised regarding delays in some essential services in the new housing area, which are being addressed.

The relocation initiative forms part of the Government’s broader effort to support national development while ensuring that affected residents are provided with land allocations, relocation support, and assistance to establish homes in safer and more sustainable communities.

Photos: Anil Selall, Central Housing & Planning Authority PR Department
Drone: Sydel Thomas, Central Housing & Planning Authority PR Department