Dear Editor,
As of 9.30 this morning, (December 20) the excavator operator tasked with clearing the trench in Palmer Street, La Grange, hooked the GPL service line and power was disrupted. The excavator operator either because of poor judgement or lack of skill, somehow managed to rupture the main power line in two places, causing a feedback of voltage, and thus causing damage to resident’s appliances among other items of an electrical nature. A house nearly caught on fire, but because of quick thinking by residents, a disaster was averted!
Several reports were made to GPL, and promises were made to the residents that GPL’s Emergency Crew (Sloth Crew) will rectify the problem. As of this hour, not a single GPL worker came to assess the damage or to rectify the problem; the line is dangerously hanging in front of the Gecom office on the public road, and the other part is in the trench. The entire street is without power since 9.30 am, that is over thirty families without power. It is now 9.30pm in the night. I must ask, is this responsible behaviour from GPL? Most certainly not! Lives were put at risk today! I am asking the relevant ministry or department to fire all the GPL employees on the Emergency Crew, contractual or not for gross negligence.
Complaints were also made in person to the Chairman of the La Grange Nismes Bagotville NDC concerning reimbursement to residents for damage to electrical appliances; his answer, “I will give you the number of the contractor, you will have to take that up with him”. Then the contractor responded, “They [the NDC] paid me cheap to clean the trench, so I can’t be paying for your loss”. What kind of fools do we have in this country? Or is it that the politicians and people with money are the only smart ones? This contractor is the very one whose trucks caused serious damage to Palmer Street with huge potholes as a result of him and his workers removing large quantities of dirt from the surface of the road in 2016 and this year, 2017. When the Chairman was asked about the road, his response was,”Government will repair the road”; that might not happen in this lifetime.
It is with great sadness that I ponder on these irritating situations in this country that indicate that Guyanese are at least a million years away from real progress; Jesus Christ came to save man, but man is corrupt and determined to live in corruption. The mind is where positive change must come from and it must be guided by the Word of God.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to the PRO of GPL, Ms Shevion Sears, for any comment she might wish to make.
