Government has purchased two new generators for Barbuda as officials seek to restore power to the island.
Chief of Staff Lionel “Max” Hurst said in his Cabinet minutes that the Cabinet also agreed to get sufficient high voltage wires, and wires to reconnect homes on the hurricane-ravaged island.
These electrical supplies will be shipped to Antigua from the United States by this weekend.
Hurst said other electrical equipment along with transformers that “will enable the restoration of an electric supply to all of Barbuda will follow”, and will be completed by early to mid-November.
He revealed that purchasing these supplies, shipping them to Antigua, transporting them to Barbuda and having Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) personnel install the poles and lines, and start-up the power plants will cost the government approximately $5 million.
“This will be among the first steps towards returning normalcy to Barbuda. A report to the Parliament will follow on all the expenses which would have been incurred,” Hurst noted.
Meanwhile, two experts dispatched by Hollywood actor and investor in the Paradise Found project Robert De Niro have told Cabinet that one of the engines remaining on Barbuda is still in good shape.
The men, along with APUA’s electricity engineer, visited the sister island and inspected APUA’s power and reverse osmosis plants.
Hurst said it has been determined by the experts that although the lines have been destroyed, the planting of new poles should begin immediately.
He added, “All except five lampposts have been blown over, almost all snapped by the powerful winds of Irma. The transformers have virtually all been destroyed, and there is a need to start all over, in order to restore electricity to the entire island.”
Both men have also said that damage to the reverse osmosis plant system is not as extensive as “they would have expected”.
They have concluded that a standby power plant, a pump and new storage tanks could provide potable water to the island.
However, resupplying Codrington with pipe-borne water can only take place after all the leaks, to and in homes, have been plugged.
De Niro has also pledged to make a significant contribution to the rebuilding efforts of Barbuda.
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I thought the minister said they are going to rebuild Barbuda better. and was just last month talking about making It a completely Green island?. there was talk of underground cables.
Now im hearing Generators and Poles?
Lol w rabbit Antiguan labour party who help put Barbuda in them mess they do nothing for Barbuda for year all they did is take all the people sand and sell it and pocket the money these people have no plan for Antigua and. Barbuda all they do is in rich them self and the poor people will remain the same look at our road look how we have to suffer for water ever day no water going true our pipe and we still have to pay water bill it unfair but the people in Antigua love it all they study is who is blue and who is red some of them is say party not country so we all will suffer look at Michael brown going away and study and still getting tax payer money every month is that fair if he know he did want to go and study why didn’t he stay out of politics he think he is the only one want to better his life but time will tell this is his last term in offici so enjoy yr time …….. Time longer than rope
This is such a joke. They promised a green Barbuda and now God has given them an opportunty to start from scratch where green energy is concerned they going back to utility poles, wires and deisel.
In less than a week, promises have been broken. And let me say why do we need two ‘experts’ from DeNiro to tell us one of the plants is still functional. Please! All I see is constant bungling of this disaster by this incompetent government.
Until Barbuda gives up its land nothing is going to happen.
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