Blackout is now commonplace

May 12, 2011 Editorial

Blackout, once touted to be a thing of the past, is very much with us and there is nothing to curtail the occurrence of this annoying feature for at least another six weeks. Indeed, Guyanese have been prone to power outages for over three decades, even to the point when people were informed through the newspaper that they would be without electricity for a certain period.
This newspaper feature became the load-shedding guide and people actually cut it out to paste on their walls so that they could be able to plan their work accordingly. Schools began to accept the excuse that homework could not be done because of blackout, sometimes lasting for as long as eight hours. On some days people went without power for two eight-hour spells in a given day.
Those who had alternatives bought generating sets, and did not mind investing in the fuel. Even businesses joined in this exercise, to the point where people walking in shopping areas became accustomed to the hum of the generators.
Such was the state of affairs that people opted to leave Guyana for a country where there was a reliable supply of electricity. Eventually, the situation changed, but ever so slowly. Soon there was a better supply of electricity, but the damage had been done. Businesses had contracted and investors chose to put their money elsewhere.
Places like the Guyana National Engineering Corporation, which had replaced Sprostons as the ship repairs facility, more or less scrapped that operation because it could not be guaranteed a regular supply of power.
Even large operations like Banks DIH and Demerara Distillers Limited divorced themselves from the national power supply. To this day they believe in self-generation and insist on maintaining that status. The PNC, which presided over the expansion and subsequent decline of the electricity sector, was voted out.
People had become fed up and they made their intentions known when the elections of 1992 came around. The blackouts and other negative things that impacted national life had piled up to haunt the PNC.
Today, in this an election year, the situation seems very familiar, except that the government is not going to let blackouts dictate the way people feel. Indeed, the government has spent a lot in power generation, right down to scrapping the steam turbines that had been in existence for some sixty years.
But it is this very expenditure that has some people seeing red. They are of the view that the generating sets imported are substandard and that someone has been asking for too much money to provide them. For example, the government forked out over US$20 million for three new generating sets. When they were commissioned last year, the powers that headed the electricity sector proclaimed that blackouts were now history. They were precipitate.
Less than a year later, blackouts are back with a vengeance. We are now being told that the problem has to do with the collapse of the equipment at Garden of Eden. We must ask whether the powers that be did not know that the collapse was imminent. We also now hear that in addition to buying new generating sets the government is moving to rent six generators.
One would have expected that there would have been a move to ensure that the replacements would have been in place before the total collapse. This has not been the case. Planning does not seem to be at a premium in the power sector.
The blackouts have also exposed a weakness in the system. At this time when students are writing their external examinations, the situation has conspired to prevent some of them from writing the examinations in a timely manner. The people who designed some schools did not allow for adequate natural sunlight, with the result that when the artificial light goes, the place is in darkness.
We are now hearing that blackout would really disappear when the Amaila Falls hydro project is completed. We are talking about at least four of five years down the road. Some are of the view that something must be wrong in Guyana. It is the only country in the region to be so plagued.

Latest News

Blackout is now commonplace

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

GBBFF boss reflects on milestones and leadership transition

National stars shine in GCF End of Year Chess...

Two more young cricketers benefit from Project...

Tonight: Sparta Boss goes up against Bent Street...

Botafgo pummel Milerock, 11-7, to become new UDFA...

BCB player transfer window opens for 2025

Features/Columnists

Democracy thrives on dissent and plurality

Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will

In the spirit of Christmas: from me to Excellency Ali

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Blackout is now commonplace

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]