Dear Editor,
The Bartica United Youth Development Group (BUYDG) is calling on the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), (Bartica Branch) to purchase new generators to supply the residents of Bartica/Region Seven with electricity on a twenty-four hour basis.
The present generators being used to supply the community with electricity are very old, consume a lot of fuel and break down often. They are also very expensive to maintain, and are therefore a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Over the last few weeks residents have been complaining about GPL’s unscheduled outages, and in particular about the fact that they did not get to watch all the 2014 football World Cup matches.
Business owners have complained that owing to the blackouts they suffer losses of food items in addition to which their sales are reduced since most customers will only purchase cold beverages, etc.
BUYDG told residents that we believe the reason for the constant power outages is population growth in Bartica and the increasing numbers of new homes and business places that are being established. GPL seems not to be equipped with generators that have the capacity to provide residents and business places with an adequate electricity supply.
On September 21, 2013 Kaieteur News reported that GPL was installing two generators to end Bartica’s blackouts. The two units, GPL was reported as saying, would be sufficient “to satisfy demand throughout the day, and end the intermittent load-shedding that had been taking place.”
During the course of last week it was observed that only one of GPL generators was working. This, we believe, is totally inadequate to supply Region 7 with adequate electricity on a 24-hour basis, since when some parts of central Bartica have electricity the Potaro Road area has a power outage, while not all of the sections of central Bartica are supplied with electricity at the same time.
The residents said that most times when GPL power outages commence Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), does not supply water so they can do their normal chores.
They were told that GWI has backup plans to supply water in the event of power outages, but they are not fully supplied during blackouts.
Yours faithfully,
Micah Williams
General President
Bartica United Youth
Development Group
