Thieves plunder street lights, wires in Hanover
Published:Thursday | December 16, 2021 | 12:10 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) infrastructure in Hanover is now under siege as thieves have removed street lights and power wires with impunity, blanketing roads in many communities in total darkness at night.
The Orange Bay to Negril roadway, which recently had 10 street lights installed, is back to almost pitch darkness as eight of those have been stolen. Some transformers have also been damaged.
Blaine Jarrett, senior vice-president for energy delivery at the JPS, said that the company’s supplies and infrastructure have been badly impacted by theft, vandalism, and damage.
“We have a situation where the facilities of the JPS are being encroached on in many ways. There are persons there who have tampered with and damaged the transformer on two occasions,” said Jarrett.
A standard transformer can last up to 30 years, said Jarrett.
Jarrett suggested that competent electricians were deeply involved in the illegal abstraction of power but cautioned against the view that company contractors, per se, were behind the practices.
“Anyone who knows anything about electricity, any skilled electrician can do it,” said Jarrett.
The JPS has issued instructions for the remaining two street lights along the stretch of road to be removed and secured until remedial action, with additional protection, is taken.
“I am expecting that the necessary works will be done during the course of the ensuing week, and when that is done, we will put back in the distribution infrastructure, and then we will replace the lights,” Jarrett said.
Those works are targeted for completion before Christmas.
Once the lights are reinstalled, the JPS will be engaging councillors in the Hanover Municipal Corporation to support their efforts to rally residents to protect the electricity infrastructure.
Marvell Sewell, councillor for the Green Island division, told T he Gleaner that he is eagerly awaiting the replacement of the lights along the Orange Bay to Negril thoroughfare.
Responding to JPS’s call for councillors to assist in protecting the power infrastructure, Sewell urged the light and power provider to act swiftly on reports.