Lindeners protest over power outages
Water also a problem
By Cathy Wilson
Stabroek News
April 4, 2003
Lindeners are currently facing major problems with frequent blackouts and cuts in the water supply and yesterday they sought assurances from a government official on improvements.
Angry residents took to the streets demanding an explanation for the current situation regarding the generation and distribution of electricity in the community by the Linden Power Company (LPC).
The protestors marched from Republic Avenue in the vicinity of the former GNCB building, around to the market square where they were joined by several businesspersons. They then marched to Barrow’s restaurant and lounge where they were told that the Chief Executive Officer of Linmine, Horace James, Head of the privatisation unit Winston Brassington and other Linmine and government officials were having lunch.
Once there, the protestors blocked Dageraad Avenue preventing the flow of vehicular traffic while demanding an audience with the Linmine Chief and Brassington.
They chanted “No water, no peace”, “We want light, we want water, disgust with the system” - “We want water and light”, “Boycott Bovell bread”, “Is PPP a caring government?” “Under PPP Linden suffers tremendously”.
Before going to speak with the protestors, Brassington told Stabroek News that he had been unaware of the extent of the power outages that residents were faced with. He noted that he went to Linden to meet with Linmine officials to initiate the resumption of talks between Linmine and Cambior and was shocked to learn that residents have had only 12 hours of power over the past four days.
When they emerged from lunch, both Brassington and James were flanked by the protesters. James told them that Linmine and Omai have started discussions with Macorp about having three additional generating sets. “Cambior has even said that by July they can bring down three of their sets from Omai.” Those, with the rental of the additional three sets, will be enough to satisfy the electricity needs of Linden,” James said.
Brassington told the crowd that having heard of the severity of the situation he immediately called Macorp and found out about the availability of a generating set of about 1.5 mw and was told that they were readily available but would take at least two weeks to be shipped into the country. That would be one of the alternatives that could be used in the short-term if LPC’s facilities cannot supply power, Brassington said.
He also stated that Linmine has an arrangement with the LPC for the supply of fuel at a fixed sum per month but the government has no long-term contract with the power entity.
As the team was about to depart the angry crowd stopped Brassington and James from entering their vehicles and threatened to damage the vehicles if they attempted to leave.
They them ordered the two to join them in their protest which they did and marched all the way down to the LPC plant and office. Upon their arrival the protesters attempted to break open the gates of the power company but were stopped by security personnel who were on the scene.
A few persons who were identified as leaders of the protest along with Linmine’s CEO, the Head of the privatization Unit and leader of the GB&GWU, Charles Sampson, among others, were given an audience with the plant manager of the Power Company, Steve Bovell.
Bovell informed the representatives that he had met officials of the Linden Utility Services Coop Society, the Linden Chambers of Commerce, the Regional Chairman and other regional officials, as well as Linmine officials among other stakeholders sometime yesterday morning. He said that at that meeting the group had decided that LPC would utilize the limited 2.2 mw that is being generated by the lone diesel generating set to provide residents with eight hours of power on a rotational basis in a day starting at 3 pm yesterday. This would allow for some supply of water to be possible.
This he said was the immediate short term plan since the company would not have been in a position to do any better before Saturday when they are expecting to have another diesel generating set on load.
“What we are hoping, based on the discussions this morning, we would be able to augment supplies to the community as well as get Linmine to start up.”
He also informed that Linmine’s machine shop has indicated that by Sunday they would be able to complete the boiler feed pump and one of the motors. Should this come to fruition LPC would be able to bring the steam plant back on load which has the capacity to generate 7.5 mw thereby meeting the full need of the community and Linmine at the same time.
Brassington informed the LPC’s manager that the monies the government pays to LPC was expected to have been spent on ensuring power supply to the community as a priority.
He recommended that given the current demands that LPC should dedicate some of the monies paid to LPC by the Guyana government to rent at least three diesel engines to ensure short-term minimum reliability.
After the meeting with the representatives of the people, Bovell went out and briefed the crowd on the initial measures that would be put in place. But the crowd was not satisfied with the explanations given and vowed that they would continue with the protest today.
Meanwhile, Brassington indicated that the matter will be raised with President Bharrat Jagdeo and alternative measures would have to be put in place to ensure that Linden receives reliable electricity supply.
