Residents left in dark by PLN

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 03/08/2006 7:50 AM

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

Despite promises by state power firm PT PLN, residents in North Sumatra and Aceh are continuing to experience regular blackouts.

The power company had said the blackouts introduced in January would end by March 3. However, over the past several days, blackouts have been occurring three times a day, each one lasting for several hours.

Angry residents are blaming PLN and the blackouts for the unusually high number of fires in Medan in recent days.

""We would not have these fires if PLN did not shut off the power. We have blackouts every day and they last for hours,"" said Lusiana, who lives in the Bambu neighborhood.

Her house was damaged in a fire Tuesday after a candle fell into a stack of books. Only the assistance of neighbors and the quick arrival of three fire engines kept the house from being completely destroyed.

The extended blackouts have also hurt local businesses.

Sofian Angga, who runs an Internet kiosk on Jl. Jamin Ginting, said he was losing about Rp 300,000 (US$32) because of the regular power outages.

He said he could not afford a generator to keep his kiosk with its 25 computers running when PLN cut the power.

""These blackouts are really hurting me. I don't know what to say. If this continues I might have to shut my business,"" Sofian said Tuesday.

A PLN spokesman in North Sumatra, Agus Muliadi, told The Jakarta Post the continued blackouts were the result of damage to a generator in Sicanang, Medan Belawan district.

""I can't be sure how long the blackouts will last, but we hope things will return to normal this week,"" he said.

The company announced 52 days of regular blackouts for Aceh and North Sumatra beginning in January, promising the power outages would last for no more than two hours each. PLN said the blackouts were necessary to allow for maintenance work on another generator in Sicanang.

However, before the maintenance work was finished, another generator in the area was damaged, causing a power deficit of up to 340 megawatts per day.

""The power deficit is relatively high, which means the blackouts have to last longer, for four hours at most,"" Agus said.

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