Power cut in Isparta: Still no electricity in over 50 villages

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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The rural parts of Turkey's Aegean province of Isparta are still having power cuts in the wake of heavy snowfall and blizzards that began on February 3, 2022 and continued incessantly for 11 hours.

Engineer Güner Merdan from the Isparta Representative of the Chamber of Electrical Engineers has announced that there is still no electricity in over 50 villages. He has shared the following information:

"There is no electricity in more than 50 villages in rural parts. Last evening, this number was 80. Access to electricity was ensured in some villages late afternoon. There are no longer any neighborhoods without electricity in the center, but there are still some minor failures. Transport has become easier as the roads have been opened thanks to the rainfall after snow."

While heavy snowfall and blizzards closed the roads in the Aegean province of Isparta on February 3, electricity was off in the city as conducting wires broke off, electricity poles toppled and substations broke down. As electricity was off, combi boilers did not work in the city with nearly 500 thousand inhabitants. Citizens wore coats and wrapped themselves in blankets at home and used candles and oil lamps for light. According to a statement released by the Akdeniz Power Distribution company, the load and excessive ice caused by snowfall led to a severe damage to energy transmission lines.

'I hope administrators will learn a lesson'

Talking about the aggrievement of locals amid this city-wide days-long power cut in Isparta, Merdan has said:

"Don't use the heating stoves at your house for three days and see what will happen! Imagine: People have old patients at their houses, they have babies. A person has just undergone a surgical operation, a woman has just given birth and come back home.

"Or they have meat in their freezers, they have food supplies... They will go to waste if there is no electricity for two hours.

"I hope that no such thing will happen in other provinces. I mean, I hope that it will set a precedent to other provinces. I hope that the administrators and our institutions that offer services will learn a lesson from this.

"Saying that there is no problem does not eliminate the problem. No one believes these words anymore. If there is a problem, we will voice it, but we need to say, 'We are solving it.' 'I can give electricity to this place'. 'When?' 'In the shortest time possible.' There should not be an answer like 'in the shortest time.' Give us an exact time. Such temporary words don't do.

'Poles set up 15-20 years ago'

"If there is a problem, just say it. Electricity is off. Okay, we know it. It needs to be said, 'Our teams are working and we will give electricity at such and such hours in the evening.' This is what working is.

"Either there is electricity or there is not. There cannot be an answer that goes like 'Electricity is not coming.'

Engineer Güner Merdan has also talked about the inspections at the electric poles, sharing the following observations:

"You take even your brand new car to care and maintenance once a year. Even if it works... These are electric poles set up 15-20 years ago. If you do not carry out maintenance or fix the decayed parts at regular intervals, this will be the result. They will collapse after some time.

'Isparta is the 3rd ice load area'

"Besides, the climate of Turkey is changing. Isparta is also the third ice load area. One pole carries 5 tons of ice load, the other one carries 10 tons. Calculations should be made based on the climate conditions here. It is of considerable importance that we attach importance to engineering. This applies to every structure, road and building."

Güner Merdan has noted that their teams as the Chamber of Electronic Engineers have also been in the field, identifying lapses:

"Why did we end up like this? Our friends have been analyzing this. What did go wrong? What is missing? We will report on this.

"We will look into the lapses, considering what was not done and what we can do to be at ease in the future. Receiving information from the institutions as well, we will share the report with the public."

Generators for 2,663 subscribers

On the other hand, as reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency, in the villages where there is still no electricity, 2,663 subscribers are provided with electricity with generators. According to the information shared by crisis desks, Isparta's Aksu, Gelendost, Eğirdir, Uluborlu, Senirkent, Yalvaç and Burdur's Ağlasun have been provided with electricity in this way.

Moreover, a university employee received an electric shock and was severely injured while intervening in the power cut. An electrician at the Süleyman Demirel University, Ali Büyükkütük has been referred to the hospital of the university. (AÖ/SD)