By Abass Jalloh
Residents in Freetown have expressed fear that blackout may intensify after the Electricity Distribution Supply Authority (EDSA) in a public notice announced that the power generating Karpowership is currently down and is undergoing some maintenance.
The statement issued on Friday 11th March 2022 admitted that there will be intermittent power cuts in the next few days as the ship which is one of the country’s main sources of generating and distributing power supply “is currently experiencing some technical challenges which have led to a drop in its normal generation output for the time being.”
The statement assured that the Authority’s engineers and technicians are currently working with Karpowership’s technical experts to identify the “root cause of the challenges and proffer solutions as quick as possible”,
This, according to residents of Hastings who spoke to Politico having already gone for days without electricity before the announcement by the utility company, is for them to brace up for more dark nights ahead.
Residents of Calaba Town, Jui, Hastings, and many other areas in suburban and central Freetown have raised concern about the frequent blackouts, saying that they have been experiencing inconsistent power supply for close to a week now and that they are worried since they have not been receiving feedback from the electricity’s supplier, EDSA.
They said when normally there is a power cut in those areas, they expect EDSA authorities to avail themselves to solve the problem.
Speaking to Politico on the effects the inconsistency of power is having on their activities within and outside their homes, Juliana Foday said blackout in her community is a security threat. “Even when there is light we have thieves coming around, imagine what will happen when everywhere is dark and you can’t even see what is happening around you,” she questioned.
Alhaji Ibrahim Bah, a resident of Calaba Town, by Mayenkineh Road, said he was more concerned about his home and how his mother usually struggles to prepare and preserve foodstuffs at home. “My mother cooks various types of soups and stores them in the freezer,” he explained, adding that when electricity is not frequent, those foodstuffs will be spoiled.
Bah said that the recent manner in which the electricity has been distributed is not consistent and not favorable like it used to be, adding that sometimes it is distributed when they are asleep. “They give light at 7 pm or 8 pm, and most times they take it in the morning hours,” he said.
He also said that the lack of distribution of electricity has led to the reduction of sales in their business as they normally use the freezer for drinks and water for the comfort of customers. “They don’t sell nowadays,” he said.
The entire Freetown is currently experiencing long hours of blackout coupled with its attendant consequences since the announcement by EDSA.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (14/03/22)
