Power supply to the Central Business District of Freetown and some parts of the east end will experience a 50% reduction of power supply due to the damage done to some of the Authority’s main supply copper cables by the collapsed bridge at King Jimmy late last Thursday.
The General Manager of National Power Authority (NPA),
Dr.ZubairuKalokohdisclosed that the damaged copper cable cost about US$ 50, 000 (Fifty thousand Dollars) and that until this is restored, 50% of customers in the central business district and some parts of the east district will not have regular supply of electricity.
Dr. Kalokoh further disclosed that this obstructed power distribution will cost the Authority an estimated Le 10 Billion (Ten billion Leones) loss and that it is the main cable conducting and conveying electricityfrom the King Tom Power Station to Falcon Bridge from where power is distributed.
He also indicated that because of the damage to the main supply cable, power generation has dropped by 6 megawatts and expressed concern over the healthy state of the remaining cables that are buried 4ft under the ground.
He said four different kinds of cables were buried underneath that part of the collapsed bridge andthey are the main conveyors of electricity from the King Tom Power Station to the Falcon Bridge distribution centre.
He informed that the NPA has not done any excavation in that area to do any form of repairs, contrary to rumours that NPA may have done some obstruction to the cable network and distribution systems.
Because the cables are high-tension cables and are copper cables, he said they are “very expensive cables which NPA cannot afford to abandon to thieves and other unscrupulous elements who may want to seize advantage of the situation to cause further destruction to NPA operations,” Dr.Kalokoh stated, and called on the Inspector General of Police and the Minister of Defence to provide security for these exposed cables.
By Abibatu Kamara
August 12, 2013
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