Residents of Bartica are set to endure more blackouts as the expected transfer of a generator from Berbice to the town has been delayed.
Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson announced yesterday at a press conference that while there are three major units in Bartica, one was taken down two weeks ago for a scheduled major overhaul. While it was down, one of the two remaining ones developed a fault, which resulted in the town being supplied with electricity from one generator.
“As an interim measure, we’ve moved a set from Onverwagt, Berbice,” Patterson said. However, while it was slated to arrive at 10.30AM yesterday and should’ve been up and running by the afternoon, Bartica Mayor Gifford Marshall told Stabroek News that the unit had been delayed because of the condition of a key trail. “It might come tomorrow at lunch and from what I understand is that because it is coming from Berbice, they had to bring it through the trail and because of the state of the trail it had been delayed,” Marshall pointed out.
He explained that the current situation is making the residents very unhappy and has also been causing distress to the town council. “It appears as though we won’t get current until Saturday. We believe and we see that the government and GPL [Guyana Power and Light Inc] are trying their best to improve the situation,” he pointed out.
Patterson also explained that existing units have outgrown their present location and as a result the Ministry had to rent a plot of land to facilitate the other generator. “Because of the necessity, there is a piece of land to the northern side which we have to rent,” he explained, while stating that the person who owns the land would be charging the Ministry $1.5M a month to rent.
“Unfortunately, we had no option because we cannot allow the people to be suffering anymore. I do hope that we could, on a very short notice, find some other alternative as quickly as possible so that we wouldn’t have to pay no more than one month, maximum two months’ rental and we’re working with the township,” he said. He explained that the rental was not advertised as it was an emergency and the plot was also the only available land nearby.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson also visited Bartica yesterday along with a team and a representative from GPL. Marshall explained that the Minister had arrived around 5PM and spent an hour inspecting the facilities.
While Marshall had pointed out that the council was seeking to have the GPL units moved from their current location [around the central business district] to a more “industrial” location, he explained that the minister discussed the way forward with the new site and he made a commitment that the negotiations with the owner of the property would start soon so that the facilities can be relocated. “The discussions should start in a matter of days,” he said, while explaining that GPL made a commitment that by the first quarter of the New Year they would have a brand new unit in Bartica that should be at the new location.
