Falling trees black out 1000 houses
OVER 1000 households across Lusaka have been left without power after several trees fell on the 11 kilovolts distribution lines supplying the areas due to rains and heavy wind, affecting over 40 feeders, Zesco Limited spokesperson Henry Kapata has said.
And Mr Kapata said that several people would experience power outages as the power utility company embarks on an exercise of cutting down trees that are near power lines. Mr Kapata said that about 1200 households had been left without electricity after the trees fell on the distribution lines.He however said that Zesco had already started cutting down trees near electricity lines and that several houses would remain without power as the exercise goes on. Mr Kapata called on members of the public to immediately report to the company when a tree falls on any power line. He warned that no person, other than those from the power company should attempt to cut trees in contact with power lines no matter how skilled.
Mr Kapata said that some trees were capable of transmitting power and that it was highly dangerous for people to interfere.
“There is nothing like me I have been cutting trees from childhood, even in the village I used to cut trees, no. Just report to Zesco and we will send our people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Kapata said that Zesco had commenced servicing Diesel gensets in preparation to commission them in Lundazi, Chama and surrounding areas. He said that the two districts had been facing power challenges because of inconsistence power supply from ESCOM Malawi, sometimes going for weeks without power.
Mr Kapata explained that the two districts were supplied power by Malawi ESCOM, but that Zesco had a long term solution to put up a 132 kV transmission line from Chipata to Lundazi and Chama respectively.
He said that the connecting of Lundazi and Chama to the grid was a 69 million dollars project whose contractor, Synohydro would take 2 and a half years to complete. “The project of connecting Lunda and Chama would have started way back in June but the villagers requested for time to harvest their crops in August. Logistic are now being put in place to commence the project. The diesel gensets will cushion the deficit whenever there is inconsistence,” said Mr Kapata.