Damascus sinks in dark as electricity outage continues

By Abu Abdullah Al Hourani;  Translation by Yusra Ahmed

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Period of electricity cut-off has increased in Damascus and countryside, because regime lost control on petrol fields and pipes, refineries and electricity generation stations.

People in Damascus complain of long hours without electricity which could last to 14 hours in the city and sometimes people don’t see light for more than 2 hours a day in the countryside.

The Ministry of Electricity demanded people in Damascus to pay their pills or the period of electricity’s rationalizing could increase.

Moreover, the ministry declared that hours of electricity’s cut-off would increase in other provinces, as a result of terrorists’ attacks of gas fields and pipes. In the same time, official sites estimated that 40% of high frequency electricity stations have become out of service and more than 5000 stations and generators are destroyed.

The situation is expected to worsen, especially after ISIS’s control of many gas fields in Homs especially al-Shaer field, which considered the main source of electricity generation.

Adnan, an employee in the Ministry of Electricity revealed that ministry does not have any future plans to sort out the electricity problem, despite the huge budget it has.

It is noticed that some areas in Damascus, especially affluent areas like Mohajreen and Abo Romanah, beside Shiite neighbourhoods like Zien- Elabdin and Jafer Sadiq, do not suffer from electricity cut-off.

“How come those areas are not affected by lack of oil” a resident sarcastically said.

Electricity rationalising and lack of oil and gas even affected drinking water production, as they need electricity to keep working and cleaning water. That led to increase of water prices, which has become sold in tank.

Syrians are facing another hard winter, with no electricity to use electrical heaters, or petrol to use traditional fireplace.

“I will use a wood fireplace as it is the only available option, as no electricity to use the electrical heaters, and oil became has become sort of luxury and too expensive”, Sami, a resident said.