Latest update April 9th, 2025 12:59 AM
Rotten bases cause multiple utility poles to collapse
A taxi driver and his family opted to remain confined in their home at Crane Old Road,
Rotten at the base.
West Coast Demerara, after three nearby utility poles came unceremoniously crashing down yesterday morning. Based on observations, the poles were rotten at their bases and collapsed as a result.
The poles, one of which was positioned along the roadway outside Winston McKenzie’s 35, Crane Old Road home, accommodated both Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) lines. The result of the collapsed poles was live electrical wires and telephone lines hanging on the fences of three adjoining yards, including McKenzie’s.
“I don’t play with current (electricity); that is something that you can’t see,” said McKenzie, who was gathered with his family in the patio of his home when this publication visited the area yesterday.
He said that the situation started Sunday night when the pole outside his home started to collapse. “We (McKenzie and his family) came home about 6:30 (18:30 hours) and I noticed that I could’ve touched this wire (pointing to utility wires hanging on his fence). I was just about to tell my wife, when we hear this cracking sound and then this post come down…The post was like halfway suspended and wires were sparking,” related McKenzie.
The fallen pole outside Winston McKenzie’s home
According to the man, he called the GPL office and technicians arrived about one hour later to disconnect the power lines to his home and that of the two adjacent properties. The man is convinced that if attempts were made to “prop up” the suspended pole, it could have prevented it from falling further and damaging a section of his fence.
Two other poles also collapsed early yesterday morning. “The whole thing come tumbling down about 6:30 (yesterday)…Now I can’t come out and earn my daily earning. My wife is a teacher and she can’t go to school; even my children can’t go to school today,” lamented the man yesterday.
But this is not the first time that McKenzie has experienced this ordeal. He recalled that it might have been just about a few years ago when the same dilemma occurred. He recalled that the utility pole outside his home collapsed then and also damaged his fence. “…I had to replace the fence. I don’t know what is going to happen this time around? I waiting to see,” noted McKenzie.
The incident yesterday sparked a maintenance exercise by a team of GPL technicians along
Fallen poles seen along the Crane Old Road yesterday.
the Crane Old Road. When asked why action to fix the problem hadn’t started Sunday night, one technician explained that the crew that responded initially was not from the maintenance team, and therefore could have merely disconnected the electricity flow to the affected homes.
Yesterday afternoon McKenzie’s wife, who is fondly called Teacher Anne, disclosed that when the GPL maintenance team finally arrived at her home, they told her that they could not remove the fallen poles.
The woman said that according to the technicians, the poles are the property of GTT and that company will have to replace them. Moreover, GPL technicians yesterday installed its own poles and re-mounted its utility lines, while the GTT poles and lines remained hanging on the fences.
GPL also commenced a maintenance exercise in the vicinity which included putting in place measures to prevent other poles from falling.
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