GPL explains Better Hope fallen pole incident
GUYANA Power & Light (GPL) has offered an explanation of the circumstances that caused a utility pole to fall across the Better Hope Public Road, East Coast Demerara, on Tuesday. The occurrence disrupted traffic and the electricity supplier  apologised to the public for the resulting inconvenience.
A GPL statement said a primary, heavy-angle structure was compromised, causing conductors to fall across the Rupert Craig Highway.
The statement said GPL investigations concluded that “the anchor block for the structure guy (the wire that secures the pole), which is buried about two metres deep, deteriorated, causing the anchor rod to come loose.”
“With the guy compromised, the structure began to lean heavily southwards, causing the conductors to sag across the Rupert Craig Highway,” GPL said.
It added that the reasons ascribed, therefore, in the Wednesday, February 22, Kaieteur News article, headlined ‘Fallen electric wires snarl traffic along Rupert Craig Highway E.C.D’, are not accurate.
“No activity by GWI or construction works associated with the widening of the East Coast Highway resulted in this incident,” GPL insisted.
It said, unfortunately, anchor blocks are not subjected to routine inspection, as they are buried and most last for decades and the one referred to would have been in service for over 20 years.