Title: Power cut in Mbuji-Mayi: Towards a gradual recovery of the situation
Introduction :
Since Thursday August 24, a large part of the city of Mbuji-Mayi, located in the province of Kasai-Oriental in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been without electricity. This outage is due to the collapse of a pole of the 70,000 volt high voltage power line, the result of an act of vandalism that occurred after a storm. The company Energie du Kasaï (ENERKA), responsible for the distribution of electricity in the region, announced that work would be necessary to restore the situation. In this article, we provide you with an overview of the current situation and efforts to resolve this issue.
The context of the cut:
According to ENERKA, the pole that collapsed was already weakened by previous acts of vandalism. Malicious individuals had cut the angles of the pillar, making it vulnerable to the weather. The storm that preceded the rain Thursday night was fatal, causing the structure to collapse and power to the city to go out. This situation affected not only the city center, but also MIBA town as well as all the neighborhoods west of Mbuji-Mayi.
The consequences of the cut:
The power cut had a significant impact on the daily life of the inhabitants of Mbuji-Mayi. Shops and businesses were forced to cease their activities, resulting in significant financial losses. Public services, such as hospitals, schools and administrations, have also been affected, disrupting the proper functioning of these essential institutions.
Repair and recovery efforts:
ENERKA immediately reacted to the situation by mobilizing its teams to assess the damage and undertake the necessary repair work. However, this work requires considerable time and resources, as it involves re-establishing an essential high voltage power line for the supply of electricity to a large part of the city.
Call for collaboration:
ENERKA has also appealed for the collaboration of the provincial authorities and the population of the surrounding villages to identify and arrest those responsible for this act of vandalism. By preventing them from further harming the electrical infrastructure, future power outages in the region can be prevented.
Conclusion :
The power cut in Mbuji-Mayi following the collapse of a high voltage power line pole disrupted the lives of thousands of people. However, thanks to the efforts made by ENERKA and the support of the local population, the gradual recovery of the situation is underway. Raising awareness about the protection of this critical infrastructure is essential to ensure a stable and reliable electricity supply in the region