THE Guyana Power and Light (GPL), officially responding to the outcry of Bartica residents, issued a release yesterday informing that electricity supply will return to normalcy in Bartica on Saturday, October 17.“Bartica has experienced interruptions in the supply of electricity over the past two weeks due to technical issues on the Generating Engines at the Bartica Power Generating Facility,” the release said, as it explained that a containerised unit (No. 11) had been taken up to the location to boost power, as the No. 9 Unit has been deemed unserviceable while the No. 6 Unit remains offline.

The power station was, by Wednesday, working to connect the No. 11 Unit to the network and install the necessary components, the release detailed.

However, in order to initiate and effect this connection, a total outage in Bartica was necessary on Thursday between 08:00 hrs and 12:00 hrs, it was explained.

“It is envisioned that the No. 11 Unit will be energised by Saturday, October 17, and this will allow the power supply to return to normalcy,” the GPL release said.

According to the power station, until normalcy is regained, the undermentioned load shedding guide remains in effect owing to reduced available capacity, as one Unit (No.10) remains in service.

Residents have been advised to check the GPL website at www.gplinc.net for updates, or the GPL Facebook Page, which can be found by searching for ‘GPL Inc’ from their individual Facebook accounts, and the TARZIE Television Station.

“Our company seeks the patience of the residents while we execute the necessary corrective work to restore reliable electricity. We extend our sincerest apologies to our valued customers of Bartica”, the GPL has said.

Since Saturday, residents of Bartica have been complaining bitterly about the lack of electricity within their community. They have also lashed out at GPL, contending that the company was silent on the situation, leaving residents to draw their own conclusions.

Ignatius Prowell had said, “We would have expected that something would have been said by GPL or the Administration, but nobody seems to know anything.”
He emphasised that residents have a right to information. “The only time we would have gotten a response is when we would have protested last year; and so I am wondering (if), with a change in the Administration, we would have to go down that road again.”
Last year, GPL had apologised to the residents of Bartica after they had experienced a series of power outages, due to the numbers Eight and Nine Caterpillar generating sets experiencing technical faults.

The load shedding guide
Time Areas
08:00 hrs to 16:00 hrs Byderabo, Agatash , First Avenue between Fifth and Ninth Streets, Fifth Street between Seventh and Fourth Avenues, First Street between Fourth and Seventh Avenues

16:00 hrs to 00:00 hrs (Midnight)
1 – 4 Miles Potaro, a section of Mongrippa Hill, West Indian Housing Scheme.

00:00 hrs to 08:00 hrs Old Housing Scheme, Mongrippa Hill (Part 2), First Avenue between First and Fifth Streets and Third Avenue between First and Fifth Streets,