By RASHA AL QAHTANI
CRUNCH talks take place today over power cuts hitting thousands of families in 11 villages off the Budaiya Highway. Northern Municipal Council services and public utilities committee chairman Sayed Ameen Al Mousawi will meet with the Electricity and Water Minister Shaikh Abdulla bin Salman Al Khalifa.
Mr Al Mousawi said that 11 villages, including 28 residential blocks, had been experiencing power cuts several times a day, for nine days.
“Power cuts in Budaiya are excessive and we experience around four or five power cuts a day,” he said.
“Residents are suffering, some people cannot even go to work in the morning because of lack of sleep.”
By RASHA AL QAHTANI
CRUNCH talks take place today over power cuts hitting thousands of families in 11 villages off the Budaiya Highway. Northern Municipal Council services and public utilities committee chairman Sayed Ameen Al Mousawi will meet with the Electricity and Water Minister Shaikh Abdulla bin Salman Al Khalifa.
Mr Al Mousawi said that 11 villages, including 28 residential blocks, had been experiencing power cuts several times a day, for nine days.
“Power cuts in Budaiya are excessive and we experience around four or five power cuts a day,” he said.
“Residents are suffering, some people cannot even go to work in the morning because of lack of sleep.”
“The ministry must find a solution to rectify the problem, which is not only experienced in Budaiya, but all over Bahrain.”
He said most residents had nowhere else to go to escape the heat, adding that many were suffering and complaining that the ministry was not doing anything to help.
“Electricity appliances of residents are getting damaged because of the continuous power cuts in addition to the food getting spoiled,” he said.
Meanwhile, a group of residents in East Riffa claimed yesterday that they had been experiencing power cuts for more than a month, with no explanation or assistance from authorities.
A resident told the GDN that he and other families in his building and neighbouring ones were repeatedly left without power for five hours, between 9pm and 2am, for more than a month.
Indian Shaju Amban, 37, said he had constantly been trying to contact the Electricity and Water Ministry’s emergency helpline on 17241111, but without success.
“Almost all calls, irrespective of the time and day, go to the recording machine and I end up waiting for at least half an hour before someone responds to my call,” said Mr Amban, who works as a sales executive at Clipsal Middle East.
“When I am connected, the operator says hello and then hangs up before I say anything.
Another resident said he and his family showered repeatedly during the night to escape the heat.
“I have been trying to contact the emergency hotline on a daily basis but I always seem to get the recording machine,” said the resident who asked to remain anonymous.
“I wait for half an hour before the operator answers my call and tells me that they will send a repairman to fix the problem. But we never see a change and the power always comes back after five hours or more.
“We need someone from the ministry to explain why this is happening and fix the problem,” he said.
Mohammed Eid Adam Furniture owner Mohammed Eid Adam said block 911 in general was experiencing power cuts.
“I am also suffering because I live in the same area and my shop is also situated in the same area and what is happening is unacceptable,” he said.
Mr Adam said they experienced power cuts about three times in a day and the problem was because of an overloaded transformer.
“We live in a very developed country and transformers are used in undeveloped countries. We should have a proper electricity station for every area,” he said.
“I call the emergency hotline number over 20 times until the operator answers and when I tell them my problem. They tell me that the whole of Bahrain is experiencing power cuts.”
“The ministry seriously has to upgrade its services and find a solution to the continuous power cuts,” said Mr Adam.
Power cuts have also made life miserable for residents of Khamis, Jidhafs and Tashan, off the Budaiya Highway, for the fourth day yesterday.
Power went off at 10.45pm on Sunday and was off until about 8.30am.
It is understood that the blackouts were due to work being carried out to repair a major cable fault on the highway.
Sources told the GDN that many residents ended up sleeping in their cars, with the engines running to power the air-conditioning while many private school pupils children also missed their first day of school yesterday.
A temporary generator is being installed near Khamis to provide electricity to thousands of families hit by a blackout in several villages.
A malfunction in a power line at the Khamis sub-station affected power supply in Jidhafs, Khamis, Tashan and Sehla for 24 hours, from around 11.30am on Saturday.
Traffic lights in the area were also knocked out, adding to the chaos.
Residents complained they could not get through to the ministry’s emergency number.
All residents spend their time in their cars, switching on the air-conditioners, on their balconies, or outside their buildings.
There have been several instances of power breakdowns in the last few weeks, with many areas remaining without power for several hours at a stretch.
A ministry official said the problem was the result of a sub-station malfunction, with cables damaged by the heat.
The power was restored by 12.30pm on Sunday after temporary repairs.
Magsha’a residents also experienced power cuts yesterday as a malfunction occurred in one of the transformers in the area’s station.
Ministry officials said the transformer had to be replaced with a new one.
The area was supplied with temporary generators until the transformer was replaced, they said.
rasha@gdn.com.bh
