GEC Shutdown in First Week 1989 Workers, Commuters Severely Affected
AREAS in Georgetown and other districts fed by the Kingston Power Station remained in darkness last night following this week’s shutdown of the station caused by what a corporation statement said was a ruptured tube in one of its condensers.
Witnesses reported, however, they heard a loud explosion from the station on Tuesday.
Up to late yesterday, the station was experiencing a total shutdown and only Garden of Eden with 2.7 megawatts and a fluctuating six to nine from Guymine, were providing any power in the system. This is the second shutdown in three weeks.
“We were getting three from Kingston up to Thursday evening, but engineers had to take out the Number One Boiler because of mechanical problems,” a Kingston station source told Stabroek News.
Tuesday’s shutdown affected even the Georgetown Hospital, one of the most important essential services in the city, but officials there said general operations were only disrupted “in a limited way” because “we used our standby facilities.”
“But our problem was water. That was cut off,” the spokesman said noting, however that the military came to their rescue.
Thousands of workers reported late for work this week complaining that minibuses were off routes owing to fuel problems and because of the total cutoff of water in various areas.
The blackouts and the problems that came with them occurred in a week in which the rice and flour shortages worsened and lines for bread and wheat-based products lengthened.
“It is a horrible week for Guyanese,” one South Ruimveldt resident said, complaining that she and her family cannot any longer take the water problems that accompany the blackouts.
“A mini-bus driver took us to an open yard at Lodge at 3.15 a.m. to get water. It doesn’t even come when there is power in the area and that is rare there.”
Radio listeners reported difficulty in tuning into GBC’s AM service, while gasolene stations displayed “Blackout No Gas” signs in bold letters.
At the time of going to Press, the latest position was that by midnight last night the No. 2 Turbine was expected to be working with the No. l Boiler to bring some relief from the Kingston Power Plant.
By tomorrow night, there was expected to be some further improvement at Kingston producing about 8.5 Megawatts in addition to the power being received from Guymine.