~ due to crucial maintenance exercise

IN the coming days, the Guyana Power and Light company will be conducting a series of maintenance exercises which will see power outages or ‘black-outs’ in several areas across the country.

However, during the exercise, persons depending on a reliable power supply to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic will be affected, also students who are currently attending online classes.

The utility company, in a notice, revealed several rounds of a planned maintenance exercise, which will commence today, Monday May 4 to May 7, 2020. Since many persons are working from their homes and studying, efficient electrical supply to power an Internet connection is essential.

On Monday, May 4, disruptions are expected on the East Coast of Demerara at Plaisance and Sparendaam from 09:00hrs to 15:00hrs.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, May 6, Garden of Eden to New Hope on the East Bank of Demerara will experience similar outages from 08:00hrs to 14:00hrs.
Maintenance activities will continue on Thursday, May 7, on the Diamond Public Road to Herstelling, East Bank Demerara from 08:00hrs to 14:00hrs. At the Good Hope Housing Scheme, ECD, the operation will last from 09:00hrs to 15:00hrs.

The utility company further explained that from the inception of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, it has employed several measures to soften the impact of the related hardships on its customers, which included, but was not limited to, the delay of planned network maintenance.

Planned maintenance activities, the company added, are crucial to prevent service disruptions and to allow for a continuous and reliable supply of electricity to all served areas.

It should be noted that GPL remains challenged with an aged Transmission and Distribution (T&D) network, therefore, such maintenance activities must be conducted in keeping with their annual maintenance plan and cannot be delayed any further.
“Additionally, the May/June rainy season is upon us and the company is taking all necessary precautions to reduce the impact of localized faults; hence, network maintenance is of utmost importance for a stable and reliable supply of electricity,” the company said.

Nevertheless, the utility company acknowledges that there are a number of employees working from home due to the risks associated with COVID-19. With this in mind, the company has advertised these interruptions across multimedia platforms to alert its customers who will be affected by the service interruptions; and to allow for sufficient time for alternative provisions to be put in place.