Vandalism worsens Escom woes, cuts power to hospitals
Vandalism of laminated pieces of metal has brought down 12 steel towers supporting Escom’s 66kv line to Lilongwe, worsening power supply woes in Balaka, Ntcheu, Dedza and part of Lilongwe.
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) officials told journalists during a tour of the vandalised equipment that the development means that for about one week, the power utility will not provide power to the affected districts through the 43-year-old existing 66kv line section between Nkula and Chingeni covering three kilometres.
Malawi is currently facing prolonged power rationing due to low water levels in the Shire River, where over 90 percent of the country’s hydroelectric power is generated.
In an earlier press statement, Escom said the generation capacity has been drastically reduced to 66 percent during peak hours and 80 percent during off-peak as a result.
On Monday, Escom senior transmission manager Alfred Overtone Kaponda told journalists that vandalism at Mwengesa Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Symon in Neno District has worsened power supply to the affected areas.
He said: “Yesterday [Sunday] they [people in affected districts] were in a blackout, but during the night, we tried to supply some of the customers on a rotation basis. But our worry is that Balaka has a hospital, Dedza has a hospital and Ntcheu has a hospital and you talk of security and other infrastructure that requires electricity all the time. It is a big problem that we have.”
Kaponda said the damage will cost Escom K633 million (about $1million) to rectify.
He said: “Each tower costs K12 million which could cost Escom about K144 million to buy new towers since we cannot reuse these ones. But the whole reconstruction process could cost us K633 million. But we are now installing temporary poles which will cost K30 million to bring back electricity within the next four to six days.”
Escom officials said four suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the vandalism
What is happening to our country?? Why oh Why? This country is really finished. Why don’t people take pride in the little infrastructure we have? Who is in charge of our country for things to have reached this far? Kamuzu should have been born later as we are lost sheep and in need of a shepherd.