No. 76 residents frustrated by stalled GPL works

Stalled installation works by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) in the #76 Housing Scheme in Corentyne, Berbice is taking its toll on residents, impacting their budgets and putting their safety at risk.

When Stabroek News ventured into the community recently, residents complained bitterly that the unfinished works and lack of constant power supply has resulted in a significant rise in crime.

Richard Moriah, a resident of the scheme, said that infrastructure works such as the installation of

Some of the residents who spoke to Stabroek News
Some of the residents who spoke to Stabroek News

utility poles and electrical wires started sometime in June. However, after a few weeks all works came to a halt. The man said he contacted GPL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bharat Dindyal via email and telephone on the issue and was told by the CEO that works had been kept back because materials had been delayed in Panama. According to Moriah, he was later told that the materials had arrived and works would soon restart but he has no idea when.

“As soon as night falls the place is in darkness… we can hardly find our streets” the man said. While a few residents would operate gas generators, this was expensive, he noted. Moriah further explained that as evening falls, taxis and hire cars would refuse to traverse the area because of the increasing crime rate.

“Couple months gone back they [police] caught a thief at the back of the village. When they go to his hideout they find people (building) materials. He thief people glass doors, windows, panel doors, cement, toilet bowls…” another resident, Anand Chalitar, said.

Residents asserted that this rampant theft occurred because there is no electricity in the community after dusk. A victim of burglary, Calvin Cort, said that on two occasions his premises were broken into and the thieves escaped with cash and jewellery.

“It not safe at all to be living in this community… almost every day people getting robbed,” Cort said.

A frustrated Haslyn Clarke, a senior citizen who works part time as a security guard, told Stabroek News that when he walks in from the road at nights he cannot recognise his community.

“When you come from the road you have to stop and wait for your eye to adjust to this darkness. A night I fall off the bridge all because the place dark and I can’t see where I going. We need current in this place… too much of wrong things happening,” Clarke said.

A section of the area strung with wires
A section of the area strung with wires

Sherwin Murray said the entrance to the community is  a hotspot for muggers. “At night this bridge (pointing to the entrance) square does be extra dark. A lot of residents and taxi drivers get mugged right here. Them thief does be waiting here to hold you up,” he explained, adding that this is the main reason that taxis do not travel into the community at nights.

When this newspaper met up with Murray he was fetching a bag of ice and a bottle of gasoline. The man said he buys gasoline every day and a half or sometimes every two days and that it is a very expensive for him and other residents to have to purchase $1500 gasoline for the two days.

Resident, Waveney Valentine also complained about the expense. “We can’t afford to buy gas every day. A lot of students in this community preparing for exams, they have to study and that lamp and candle thing na work out… investing in a generator is a lot of money… we need to get current in this place,” she said.  Housewife J. Ramtirat also complained that it is harassing to travel to the market every day. “Is every day we ga go market… If you plan to do something for the day you ga go market and come back and then start… it is not easy for us,” she said.

“The only time we see light in this place is when there is a full moon… otherwise than that is darkness we have to live in”, Candice Melvin said. The woman also noted the impact the lack of electricity has had on the community during this festive season noting that while other parts of the country would be celebrating No. 76 residents have to be home “watchmaning” their house.

When residents saw electricity poles and wires being installed they invested in infrastructure to ready their homes for electricity. However, because of the delay the electrical certificates for most of the homes have since expired. Residents said they had been promised electricity in time for the festive season.