Electricity supply to Lethem remains a matter of concern to the border area as repairs to key sections of the road linking Region Nine to the coast remained incomplete yesterday.
Region Nine Chairman, Clarindo Lucas told Stabroek News yesterday that the supermarket, eateries and hotels are among the main consumers who rely heavily on fuel for their businesses to operate. He said that the gas stations in the area are low on fuel and this newspaper understands that gas was retailing at the pumps in Lethem at $1600 per gallon, with a daily price ceiling set at $2000 for each customer.
Lucas said that there is no shortage of fuel in the region but he noted that current supplies are being monitored and according to him, the sourcing of fuel from neighbouring Brazil “is not an option at this time”. He said that the contractor who is working along the Hunt Oil stretch informed that “there is still some amount of work to be done”, on that section of the trail.
Transport Minister Robeson Benn stated over the weekend that repairs to a stretch of 300 feet along the Hunt Oil road had to be completed and the Ministry was hoping to complete repairs within three days provided the weather is conducive. That period has passed. The Government Information Agency (GINA) stated that 5.5 miles of the 6.5-mile Hunt Oil stretch had been successfully restored.
Lucas said that the border area is awaiting the go-ahead from the contractor for several trucks laden with fuel and goods and which are parked along the trail to traverse the Hunt Oil area into Lethem.
He said that the Local Government Ministry advised the regional administration to have the contractor “do a proper job”; before the trucks proceed over the stretch of road and he noted that an appeal was made to the truckers in this regard. He said too that he is in contact with the contractor on a daily basis and he is frequently updated on the status of that section of the road.
The Hunt Oil stretch is being repaired by a private contractor who was hired by the Public Works Ministry while the Mekdeci Mining Company (MMC) is responsible for another bad patch along the road at the Cork Wood location, close to the Iwokrama Reserve.
As regards the latter area, Lucas noted yesterday that the situation at the location “was still not resolved”, with some motorists voicing complaints about that section of the road.
He said that the Pirara Creek, which some mini bus operators noted on Tuesday has swollen to its maximum level, is being monitored but the condition of the road there has not reached an alarming state. He noted however, that if the rain persists and traffic continues to damage the approaches to the Pirara Bridge, the situation may worsen.
The Pirara Creek runs over a section of the road linking Annai and Lethem; the bridge is located approximately 20 miles south of the Hunt Oil Stretch and is said to be the highest point along the trail.
