Sidon electricity and water in short supply

15 July 2011

SIDON, Lebanon: Residents of Sidon and surrounding areas are facing severe electricity and water cuts, brought on by the summer heat and humidity, which are only harder to bear without power or water.

The power supplied to the city of Sidon, the nearby district of Zahrani and towns to the east of the city does not exceed 10 hours over a 24-hour period.

When the state electricity supply is available, it usually lasts only between two and four hours, compared to cuts that range from four to eight consecutive hours.

Meanwhile, the power shortage is leading to water cuts, as the water pumps operate on electricity and the Sidon Water Authority cannot afford the costs of operating electric generators.

The power and water shortage have prompted residents to question promises made by the new Cabinet to work seriously on providing the people with essential needs.

Instead of relying on the government though, residents of Sidon are resorting to electric generators for power supply. But this option is getting more costly, as many generator owners have raised monthly fees from $50 to $77 for 5 Amps and from $100 to $150 for 10 Amps.

A source from Electricite du Liban in the south told The Daily Star that power supply in the city of Sidon is at 50 percent, adding that some villages in the districts of Sidon and Zahrani are receiving an even lower percentage.

The source, who declined to be identified, outlined some of the reasons for electricity shortage, including the failure to replace a major electricity transformer in Zahrani which was damaged this winter.

This puts more pressure on the two transformers of Msaileh and Sidon, especially as the high temperatures require that they be switched off occasionally for cooling, which results in electricity cuts.

The high temperature, the source continued, also leads to malfunction in the major electricity network and some secondary transformers and fuses.

According to the source, the solution lies in replacing the Zahrani transformers quickly and a tender for this is currently underway.

He also highlighted the need to draw power from other countries or from power-generator ships to meet the increased demand in summer.

He added that the areas suffering most were Ghazieh and Sidon’s industrial zone, which see two hours of power for every six or eight of blackout.