Power lines along the Lamaha Railway Embankment land reserve will soon be mounted on durable steel and concrete poles as safety remains a prime concern for government as it aims to transform a section of the corridor into a recreational and commercial hub, according to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill.
Both Edghill and Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bharat Dindyal on Wednesday told Stabroek News that plans are afoot to replace the wooden poles as a safety mechanism in the advancement of the project.
“The 69Kv wooden poles will be replaced by steel structures that will house two circuits. The poles will be 75 feet tall. Considering the dual purpose the corridor will serve, durable steel structures will be best for long term public safety,” the CEO of the utility company told Stabroek News when contacted.
The minister also disclosed that the power company has already demarcated an area on the northern section of the corridor for the poles to be planted.
GPL had in the past objected to activities along the reserves for fear of compromising the safety of persons as a result of the presence of the high-voltage overhead cables. It had been one of the factors that had led to the removal of hundreds of squatters from the Lamaha Railway Embankment.
The enhancement project has seen safety questions from observers about the constant activity at the location. However, both officials emphasised that given the height and structure of the power poles, the area will be safe for persons to operate and there will also be constant monitoring.
During the citywide cleanup campaign two Saturdays ago, President Irfaan Ali announced the transformation of the old train station at Lamaha Street. The old wooden building will be converted into an art gallery where local artists can exhibit and sell their work.
Ali stated that it was his desire to make the city family-oriented, “where families can come out and families can find a safe zone in which we can build not only a relationship between families but relationship between communities.”
Works are currently underway along the reserves between Parade and Camp streets in a public/private partnership. Questions have also been raised about how the project is being financed.
According to Edghill, no procurement procedure has been breached as the labour is being covered by fulltime staff from the “force account” at his ministry. He added that the private sector has been playing its part through the supply of materials.
Ali had also stated that his government is working on a number of plans which focus on the urban renewal and transformation of the city.
“The city of Georgetown is not a huge city… One of the beauties about this city is that it is a walking city. Which means that you can walk easily around the city and get your business done but you have to walk in an environment that is safe, in an environment that is clean, in an environment that is conducive and that is what we will be creating,” Ali declared.
“It’s starting to build a new culture, a new approach, the way we treat the environment and the way we treat each other. The environment is a demonstration of who we are, how we value each other,” he added.
Over a decade ago a number of squatters had to be removed from the area as the presence of high tension wires there was declared as hazardous to life.
And a few years ago, GPL also objected to a parking lot being built on the reserve, east of Camp Street by the Chinese company Bai Shan Lin Company in an agreement with the Guyana Revenue Authority.
Dindyal, who was at the helm of the power company at the time, had written to the then government informing that such activities posed a danger.
However, then Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn had stated that the risk for the project was low and that the decision to operate a parking lot there was geared to reducing the traffic congestion on Camp Street.
