-amid ongoing road construction
By Khamisi Slowe
Residents of North and South Ruimveldt were plunged into darkness on Thursday night when multiple utility poles along a section of Aubrey Barker Road collapsed, cutting off electricity and water services.
The incident which occurred around 8 pm did not cause any injury but the situation worsened yesterday when additional poles fell. Power was finally restored to the area at about 7.30 pm yesterday.
The incident has raised questions about the quality of the pole installation work and whether road construction or activities by GPL might have triggered it.
The Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) yesterday confirmed that the incident disrupted service to approximately 2,000 households in South Ruimveldt and surrounding areas. According to a statement released by the utility, an inspection of the site revealed that ongoing road expansion and drainage works had compromised the foundation of its infrastructure, leading to the collapse of poles and power lines.
When Stabroek News revisited the scene at around 5:30 pm yesterday, GPL technicians were actively working to erect new poles, with the hope of restoring power to the area. Meanwhile, a team from the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) was seen at the North Ruimveldt well installing generators to restore the water supply to affected households.
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses described the alarming occurrence. One resident recounted: “I heard a loud cracking noise and rushed to the door. By the time I got outside to move my vehicle, the other poles started falling too.” Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but some 20 vehicles were evacuated as a precaution.
One of the sub-contractors, Sunil Persaud, a contractor from R&B Investment who was responsible for part of the ongoing road works on Aubrey Barker Road told Stabroek News that the utility poles were installed two months ago. He emphasised that the work remains unfinished due to weather conditions.
“We have a timeline to complete this job, but the rain delayed us from backfilling properly. One pole fell, and it pulled the rest down,” he stated.
Persaud defended the initial installation of the poles, contending that they were properly placed at the time. However, he suggested that recent work by GPL might have contributed to the incident. “GPL was working on these poles for the past two days, installing transformers and heavy-duty wires. They should’ve ensured that the poles could handle the weight before proceeding,” he argued.
He added, “When these poles were installed, GPL personnel were present to advise if everything was done correctly. So, this isn’t about finger-pointing, but we need to ensure better collaboration moving forward.”
Head of Executive Management at GPL, Kesh Nandlall, pointed to construction activities. “Our investigation revealed that construction activities in the area had compromised the poles’ foundations, leading to a domino effect.”
According to Nandlall, nine concrete poles and several wooden ones were affected. GPL teams replanted fallen poles. They were also restringing conductors, and replacing damaged components.
“We sincerely sympathise with the residents impacted by this disruption and assure them that every effort is being made to restore power as quickly as possible”, he said.
However, concerns remain regarding the safety of the poles and the coordination between contractors and GPL. Residents have questioned whether the poles were embedded deeply enough into the ground to withstand external pressures, including heavy rainfall and additional loads.
To mitigate future risks, Nandlall urged contractors to communicate more effectively with GPL during construction. “We continually advise contractors on safe practices, but with construction happening across the country, we can’t monitor every site in real-time,” he noted.
As frustrated residents awaited the restoration of power and water, many called for long-term solutions to prevent similar incidents, emphasising the need for better planning and collaboration between all parties involved.
