Residents of Hadfield Street, Georgetown, are complaining about the neighbouring Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company’s (GTT) generators which are emitting thick smoke in addition to being a noise nuisance.
In a letter to Stabroek News yesterday, a resident stated, “Sadly, telecommunication giant, GTT, does not understand this bit of legislation as thick smoke and noise are spewed from its generators, which are conveniently positioned towards the residents of Hadfield Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown within the vicinity of the GGMC, Ministry of Health and the National AIDS Programme Secretariat.”
The writer went on to note that since August of last year the company had started the “abuse” by activating the generator daily between 5 pm to 9 pm. Although reports were made to GTT, a minimisation of this situation was never experienced by residents.
When Stabroek News tried to contact GTT Public Relations Officer, Jasmin Harris for comment, the calls went unanswered.
The residents took the matter a step further by reporting it to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This yielded some response as personnel from the EPA were dispatched to the area to evaluate the situation, and although relief was promised, the residents received none.
The letter stated, “Residents were forced to push through the holidays with GTT’s generators right by their side… no action spanning five (5) months has forced the penning of this letter as residents are now exposed to this abuse in excess of 24 hours.”
“It’s too noisy, and when both GGMC and GTT generators on, oh goodness, it’s really disturbing the area.” “I haven’t got any rest for the night, whole night the generator was on.” “It does keep a set of noise, we can hardly hear we own voice and then the black, black smoke does be coming out of it and we have small children in we house,” were some of the comments of residents in the area.
Tenesha Deally, another area resident told Stabroek News that the noise has been going on for years but it would usually ease, however, for the past two days the generator was on continuously. “Two days now this generator deh on, people who sick and gat headache can’t take this noise, we complain but nothing them ain’t doing. When they first put it on, the black smoke deh nonstop.”
