Parapet works in Queenstown will worsen drainage; court action likely

Last Updated on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, 20:46 by Written By Denis Chabrol

Even as residents of Queenstown, Georgetown residents await Public Works Minister Juan Edghill’s reply to their concerns about the excavation of their grassy parapets, they believe that crusher run and other material would wash away during rains and clog the already bad drainage system in that residential city district.

“Queenstown floods terribly. It is like a basin…That’s going to rush into the drains now now when the rains come or at least when that settling process happens,” the resident said.

One of the residents said a letter was dispatched on Wednesday to Mr Edghill requesting a meeting with him and technical staff. They hoped that he would reply by Friday.  The resident told Demerara Waves Online News that the aggregate of stone and dust would eventually wash away into the drains in the already flood-prone area.

“Our concerns are particularly related to the extent of excavation and removal of existing vegetation, the proposed use of aggregate materials, the potential effects on drainage and underground utilities and the implications for pedestrians and residents who occupy properties along the affected roadways,” they said in the letter accompanied by a petition. They are also demanding meaningful consultation with residents and property owners to understand their concerns and consider alternative approaches that balance infrastructure improvements with the preservation of the community’s residential character.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the Queenstown residents, who is a businessperson, said residents at at a Tuesday evening meeting demanded that the excavated grass-coated soil be returned to their community. “There is no doubling down on that. Everyone is in agreement that the parapets must be restored to allow people to walk around and enjoy the greenery and the few remaining colonial homes. As one person said, ‘ah want bak meh mud, ah want bak meh grass’,” the resident said

They told Mr Edghill in the letter that the proposed treatment of the parapets and road reserves should also be reviewed  with a view to  retain existing trees, vegetation and landscaped areas where practicable. Similarly, they are hoping for clarification on the programme’s scope and design standards, including the intended final treatment, maintenance arrangements and provisions for pedestrian access and safety.

Emphasising that their petition was not intended to oppose the improvement of public infrastructure, the residents called for a suspension of parapet excavation and modification works to allow for a review of the current approach. They said such a technical review should focus on the implication of those works on drainage, road integrity, utility infrastructure, environmental conditions and pedestrian safety.

The said the petition “represents a collective request that the works be undertaken in a manner that is technically appropriate, environmentally considerate and responsive to the interests of the residents directly affected.”

The Queenstown resident said the community was also mulling taking legal action against what was termed a betrayal of President Irfaan Ali’s biodiversity thrust, particularly since those parapet works were destroying invaluable flora. “That could be done in a jiffy,” the resident said, expressing fear that eventually many of the iconic trees in Queenstown would fall.

“It is definitely counter to what the Head of State has been preaching as it relates to healthy streets and all this nice sustainability jargon, biodiversity jargon,” the resident said. “We were really embracing this because this is what we live for,”