Electrical students rewiring light poles with contractor

EIGHT electrical students from the Port Moresby Technical College led by Allan Kirita of Pawacomtronics Contractors are rewiring light poles along the Baruni Backroad in Port Moresby.
This is the result of vandalism where light bulbs or tubes have been smashed at every pole in the area and cables removed for other uses or sale.
The route from Hanuabada to Gerehu via the Backroad has been in darkness for several weeks.
According to Kirita, the team has rewired about 200 poles from Kanudi to PoM Tech and will continue to the Wantok Radio Light Station.
“The cables were protected with a metal shield using screws to bolt the cover but this has been unscrewed by the perpetrators, they also used iron bars to break in and remove the cables,” Kirita said.
“We are now welding the cover of the each pole after installing the 16 millimetre cables inside, we are also powering up the cable after installing so the perpetrators have to be careful if they are thinking of removing it again.”
Kirita said the cables stolen cost between K4000 and K5000 – all the 16mm cables. He said the eight electrical engineering students were training on-the-job .