RIYADH: Power outage has hit a major market in north Riyadh for more than a week.
Shop owners and traders, forced to rent electric generators to run their businesses, have incurred huge losses. They blamed the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) for its inaction in restoring power, Al-Eqtisadiah business daily reported on Thursday.
Yaum Al-Mazarie is a major market for fruit and vegetables as well as meat, fish and dates in north Riyadh.
Abdul Aziz Al-Othman, manager of Al-Obad Trading Est. that specializes in the sale of dates in the market, said the main SEC power station and the branch station of the Riyadh municipality were shifted from Yaum Al-Mazarie market to another location as part of the ongoing renovation work in the market.
"The department for managing markets at the municipality had informed us earlier that there would be power disconnection for two days due to the shifting of the station from one area of the market to another. But even after one week, power supply has not been restored," he said, while drawing attention to the fact that the owners have incurred huge losses because of this.
"We have rented generators on a daily payment of SR700 in addition to SR100 for the watchman to guard it at night. We also have to pay for the fuel to run the generators," he said.
Al-Othman noted that the power problem has caused him sleepless nights. "I come to the market in the late hours just to check on the generator, or refill it with diesel, for fear of any power failure that could affect his huge freezers used for storing dates and thus increasing my losses," he said, adding that the municipal officials are paying no heed to their grievances.
Fahd Al-Qahtani, a section head of the operation and maintenance department at the municipality, told the newspaper that the power station was shifted due to the renovation work at the market.
"We have corresponded with the SEC and paid the outstanding dues. The SEC is directly responsible for restoring electricity supply to its customers," Al-Qahtani, supervisor of the project for the development of Yaum Al-Mazarie market, said while clarifying that the municipality is not to be blamed for the problem.
© Arab News 2011
