The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is appealing to the public to “demonstrate good sense at Easter time” and to refrain from flying kites near its power distribution networks and high voltage lines.

The company, in a press release, said it is now almost three weeks to Easter and its technicians are already working overtime to repair faults and damage to the power distribution networks which were caused by kites. Technicians are already repairing burst power lines, replacing blown transformers and transformer fuses and they have had to repair damage to the very high voltage transmission lines that bring power to Georgetown from the Garden of Eden station.

GPL said the damage was found in areas such as Sophia, Diamond and Mocha Arcadia. The company said over the past weeks its technicians have been finding new kites dangling from lines in these areas and reiterates that these lines carry 69,000 volts of electricity and that any major damage could affect power supply to the East Coast.

The company said it has done everything in its power, including installing voltage regulators along the East Coast and East Bank corridors to upgrade the power quality, to deliver “a superlative supply of power to the Providence Stadium” and to allow customers to see the Cricket World Cup matches without interruption. The company said power distribution systems in these areas have undergone major upgrading and a mobile Caterpillar set has been installed at the Stadium as a stand-by power facility. This set was tested yesterday. GPL said it is also powering the media nerve centre at the Stadium and its technicians and engineers have been working in tandem with the local organising committee for more than a year and they have given assurances that “all systems are on go”.

The company said it stands ready to deal with all emergencies but it reiterates its appeal to parents to ensure that children fly kites in wide, open spaces.