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Of the effects of power shedding
2006-02-27 09:28:37
By Rayner Ngonji
It’s almost a month now since power shedding was introduced. We began with eight and half hours, hardly two weeks we went to 12 hours and now we are hovering in 18 hours. Most probably we shall get to 24 hours cut if the weather doesn’t change.
The biting is bitter and is really being felt. People of all walks of life are talking about it.
The most unfortunate thing with the exercise is that it has come at a time when the popular energy—charcoal and firewood which could have been used as alternatives are in problems.
Their demand has all of a sudden gone up after the government’s ban on forest harvesting.
Charcoal is now not only an untouchable commodity by ordinary people but its supply has dramatically dwindled due to strict control of the movement.
Dar es Salaam however, with its dense population and all heavy industries and different businesses accommodated there, is the most affected by the rationing.
It’s not clear if any study has been conducted at least to identify areas that apart from those that are already known to be sensitive, need special treatment to let things go on.
Such areas include beauty salons, batic fabric making and wood industries which entirely rely on electrical energy.
These enterprises are the livelihood of a common man through which he gets the money for a day’s meals, fare for the children to school and back and medical treatment.
To disconnect power for the whole day for a salon operator for example, is to cripple the owner because every activity is paralysed.
Beauty salons normally run their business during the day. When power is restored at 11pm or 12.00 midnight, nothing can be done because that is the time when people retire to bed after a hectic day.
Any economic activity, according to our African culture serves between five to ten people comprising family members and dependents.
So if there is any interruption in relation to the business that means a lot to their lives.
Effecting such measures which are likely to jeopardise one’’ livelihood certain values inherent in people’s life styles need to be observed.
It wouldn’t have been bad if there was a special arrangement at least to ensure that the salons get power during the day at least twice or thrice a week.
Water is another area that also needs special treatment under the power rationing. Most suburbs in the city get their supply from deep and shallow wells.
And in all these water has to be pumped by electricity to the tanks/resovoir before going to the taps.
Without power there is no water. This means people especially the poor, as they can’t do without it, have no choice but to look for other alternatives of getting the precious liquid.
However, with the two-year-old uncontrollable cholera, fetching water from whatever source is risky.
Chances of contracting waterborne diseases such as typhoid and diarrhea are high.
The Tanzania Electric supply Company (TANESCO) immediately came up with a timetable for the rationing exercise.
But the timetable is never consistent. It’s not being followed. They are very good in disconnecting it but when it comes to restoring it, the problem arises.
It can be disconnected at 07.00hours in the morning and is supposed to be restored let’s say at 7pm.
That is never done. It’s restored at 8 or 8.30 or even 9pm and still when its restored after 10 or 15 minutes it’s disconnected again.
I remember last Thursday in my area when it was restored it was disconnected three times for no apparent reason before it came back again.
You fail to understand what is happening at TANESCO’s offices.
And this is most common in areas occupied by the poor. What is being murmured about is not the shedding which now has become a common practice, but the adherence to the timetable.
Now since this year’s rationing appears to be worst in the country’s history as far as hours covered is concerned, could the authorities with the abundant resources available (hydropower, songas, Mchuchuma coal) declare this as last exercise?
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