Unrest continues in Linden
GPL engine suffers setback
Stabroek News
April 7, 2003
Unrest continued in Linden yesterday as residents sought firm assurances that power supply equipment promised by the state would be adequate and there were several robberies on Saturday night and incidents of violence.
Protestors who have been demonstrating for the past four days over the collapse of the town's electricity supply were yesterday further agitated when word circulated that the two diesel engines rushed to Linden on Saturday evening by the Guyana government were not in proper working order.
When the news got around, an angry crowd declared that they were not settling for anything less than new electricity generating facilities. A team from GPL turned up at the roadblock at the Kara Kara bridge yesterday with some components for one of the engines borrowed from GPL but when the protestors learnt that the components would not solve the power woes in their entirety, the GPL personnel were refused passage into the town.
Additionally, regional and other officials were in the process of putting systems in place to distribute water to households on mobile units. However, when the regional chairman Mortimer Mingo turned up at the Kara Kara bridge to arrange the passage of two trucks that were transporting water, his request fell on deaf ears.
"We ain't want no water distributing by no truck, we want the power plant working and provide the water plants with power so we can get water through we pipe. Is dah or nothing", one resident said.
The residents said further that they would turn over any truck seen distributing water and the plans for water distribution were then aborted by the regional administration.
Minister of Housing and Water Shaik Baksh yesterday issued a statement saying that the government had agreed to take a series of contingency measures to bring relief to residents.
He said the Amelia's Ward pumping station would be activated by this morning and should be able to supply water to Amelia's Ward and surrounding areas. Government will also be employing light tankers and other types of water tanks to provide water to residents. A fire tender from the Guyana Fire Service will also be pressed into operation in Linden (around 64 miles up the Demerara River) and private trucks will be paid by the state to deliver water to various points.
In addition, the government is also trying to source two 250-300KV generating sets to be used to independently power the water treatment plants in Linden.
The protestors said that they no longer wanted any political party or other organisation to represent them at a dialogue forum.
Shortly after noon yesterday, it was reported that one of the GPL engines shipped to the town went into service but developed mechanical problems afterwards and had to be taken back offload.
Stabroek News learnt that the problem/s could not have been rectified immediately. LPC workers then turned their attention to the second generating set but up to press time it was not clear if it was in working order as power kept coming off and on in the town.
A senior official from Linmine said that should one of the generating sets become operable, power would only be supplied to the Linmine machine shop for work to be continued on the damaged motors and Boiler Feed Pumps, to the Linden Hospital complex and to possibly one of the Water Treatment Plants.
Yesterday morning, when Stabroek News visited most of the areas that were blocked previously, it was observed that several of the blockades had been partly removed but these were re-erected by the protestors later in the morning.
The ferry services were also still out of operation.
It was reported that a rural constable was operating a private boat across the river and a group of protestors seized it, destroyed it in the middle of the road and took away the captain's takings. This they said was a warning to the others who intended to resume their operations.
Saturday evening, all-night vigils were held at several points at Wismar and one of the vigils being held at One Mile in the vicinity of Bobby Noel's general store narrowly escaped being struck by a truck which suffered a brake failure sending it crashing through one of the barricades into a parked bus and a group of people.
Late yesterday afternoon, when the protestors learnt that arrangements were being made by Omai's Linden yard to distribute water to residents, they proceeded to dig up the entrance roads to Omai. Last evening, several vehicles on the back road leading to Omai had the air let out of their tyres and one loaded with timber was set alight.
On Saturday evening, while most of the protestors were at their various vigil spots, an armed gang of six smashed the doors of Courts' Linden branch and made off with a Honda water pump, a Yamaha generator and three Stihl chainsaws - estimated at $1M. All the men were wearing masks and some were dressed in female apparel. It was reported that when news of the incident reached several other business owners, they came out and kept an all-night watch at their premises. The Demerara Bakery also suffered losses. An unruly group destroyed the generator owned by manager of the Linden Power Company, Steve Bovell, and they robbed the store of an undisclosed sum of cash.
Persons who were identified as organisers of the protest told Stabroek News that those responsible for the disorderly acts were not part of their group. However, several persons complained that they were forced to supply cash or contribute towards the vigil. The Linden Hospital complex operated under serious constraints when its generating set developed problems. A walk through the hospital revealed its plight as darkness filled every corner of the institution. An emergency case had to be rushed to the Georgetown Hospital on Saturday afternoon.
Police ranks had to escort the ambulance and arrange for its passage through the barricades.
Before the problem was rectified yesterday, over six deliveries of newborns had to be done with limited lights from candles, torchlights and lamps. The Sister who was in charge at the time said that she was thankful to God that none of the mothers experienced complications during the deliveries.
Over at Ituni, it was reported that residents there too had started to protest. They reportedly blocked the road leading to Aroaima and Kwakwani. The regional chairman Mingo said that this had prevented the Aroaima Mining Company from sending out a diesel engine which was intended to power one of the water treatment plants at Linden. Ituni has been without electricity and water supply since January 3.
