Karoo affected by power outages
A 55-TON crane and a 20-ton jackhammer have been sourced to repair damaged infrastructure that left residents in the Central Karoo with an electricity outage since the weekend.
Eskom said power line infrastructure was severely damaged by inclement weather, affecting residents in parts of Sutherland, Roggeveld, Laingsburg, Ladismith, Leeu-Gamka, Swartberg, Merweville, Matjiesfontein, Prince Albert, Fraserburg and surrounding areas.
Eskom general manager in the Cape Coastal Cluster, Mbulelo Yedwa, said load-shedding exemption requests were being favourably considered for the towns supporting the affected areas while recovery was in progress.
“Eskom has sourced three 315kVA generators which are available for the temporal use of critical and essential loads.
“Specialised equipment which includes a 55-ton crane and a 20-ton jackhammer is required for rock drilling and planting of the electricity structures.
“Additional construction teams and contractors from the Eastern Cape have been called in to support with the recovery operation,” Yedwa said.
Local Government MEC Anton Bredell yesterday said the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) was working on assisting residents with accessing critical services including water, health care, education, and ensuring food security.
Several generators have been dispatched for critical service delivery, Bredell said, including a 100kVA generator from the Overberg District Municipality in Laingsburg for water treatment; a 45kVA generator from the Garden Route District Municipality in Matjiesfontein for water; and a 100kVA generator from Bitou Municipality for water provision in Prince Albert.
“We are working closely with Eskom, as the lead on this incident, to provide any assistance possible to repair the power line that collapsed on Saturday evening in the Karoo. Eskom informed us that the repair project is complex, and although they are working as fast as possible, repairs will most likely take at least a week.
“At our joint operations meeting (yesterday) morning, Eskom confirmed that specialist teams are currently en route to the site, and abnormal vehicles are preparing to transport the needed materials and equipment to the Karoo.
“Our traffic services are assisting with the logistics of this to avoid any hold-ups with this part of the repair project,” said Bredell.