Anton Bredell, the minister of environmental affairs and development planning in the Western Cape, warns that eight towns in the province will remain without power for another week after a power line collapsed.
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Roggeveld, Laingsburg, Ladismith, Leeugamka, Swartberg, Merweville, Matjiesfontein and Prince Albert in the Western Cape, as well as Fraserburg and Sutherland in the Northern Cape, were left in the dark after a power line collapsed in the Central Karoo on Saturday, 4 February.
Bredell says the Provincial Disaster Management Centre is assisting Eskom to repair the collapsed line. According to Eskom, the project is ‘complex,’ and repairs will most likely take several days.
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Until it is fixed, the provincial government will provide potable water and wastewater systems in the affected communities and ensure the functioning of public services such as hospitals and schools.
‘We are also sending generators to institutions that do not currently have generators,’ Bredell adds.
As per the Herald, the following generators are being installed for critical service delivery:
- A 100kVA generator from the Overberg District Municipality to ensure water treatment in Laingsburg
- A 45kVA generator from the Garden Route District Municipality for water provision in Matjiesfontein
- A 100kVA generator from the Bitou municipality for water provision in Prince Albert
These generators will be dispatched for installation in the central business areas:
- A 650kVA generator from the Western Cape Department of Health in Prince Albert
- A 350kVA generator from the Western Cape Department of Health in Laingsburg
- A315 kVA generator from Eskom in Laingsburg
- A 315kVA from Eskom in Prince Albert
- A 315kVA generator from Eskom in Ladismith
Bredell says Eskom confirmed that specialist teams are 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 project to avoid any holdups with this part of the repair project. We are working as fast as possible with your safety and wellbeing central to each action we take.’
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Picture: Jared Ruttenberg / @jaredincpt