Hundreds of feet of wire were unearthed when the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) yesterday moved into Sophia to disconnect illegal connections to the company's supply.

Stabroek News observed wire connected to utility poles which GPL officials clipped, after which they began pulling wires buried among weeds in the trenches and beneath roads. GPL workers had last week visited the area with the media to point out the numerous illegal connections.

While GPL crew members were removing the illegal connections from the utility poles yesterday, Looknauth Singh, GPL's internal auditor noted with some concern the use of telephone cables to facilitate the illegal transmission of electricity.

He noted too that if one wire is exposed during a flood the whole area could be at risk for electrical shocks.

As the operation continued, Marjorie Chester, GPL's Public Relations Officer, noted that "telephone cables are being ripped from under bridges and I cannot emphasise enough how extremely dangerous these connections running through water can be. Since anything water touches can be electrocuted."

She added "it is difficult to assess how many connections are there. There may be 5, 6, or 10 wires connected to wires off the pole." Later, when a GPL crew member found an exposed connection lying among the weeds in a trench, she noted reports of exposed wires in the water resulting in dead animals. She also recalled an incident where a child was electrocuted in water in which a live wire was resting.

Meanwhile, as word spread about the disconnection campaign several Sophia residents came out to voice there disappointment at the move. Most of them expressed the opinion that if they were supplied with electricity by the power company they would not have to get involved in stealing it.

At one point the GPL van with its tray full of wires had to turn back because of the state of the roadway and the taunts of the residents not to come further.

By this time members of the Guyana Police Force who had accompanied the disconnection crew to offer protection had already left.

Revenue Manager at GPL Kesh Nandalall explained the process that residents would have to go through in order to legally get electricity. They would first have to apply for the service after which this application would be certified. Following this a survey would be carried out after payment of an investigation fee. A customer would then be given a legal power supply.

Chester said however that for residents to get electricity, "it was a matter of electrifying the entire area. The cost for doing this varies. Also, the area has to be regularised with proper infrastructure before systems can be put in place."