Yangon is preparing for several days of blackouts after the junta announced there would be power outages nationwide for seven days.
Business owners already living with frequent blackouts were slagging off the military masterminds who said the outages were necessary to facilitate construction of a massive pipeline to supply China with natural gas.
“In our business, we are asked what would we do if the power went out completely. To be honest, we cannot even predict tomorrow when the power will come,” a printing service shopowner in Yangon’s Thaketa Township told Coconuts today.
“Frankly, only 30% of the business is now operational due to the lack of power every day.”
Angry residents had words for the junta leader after its power ministry announced 24 hours of outages starting Sunday in parts of the country including large cities such as Yangon and Mandalay.
As the current outages worsen in Yangon and its suburbs, it was announced that there will be a full day without power in some areas this weekend.
The outage is meant to reduce load while a new pipeline is connected for the Shwe Kan Lon pipeline, a controversial project connecting China to the Bay of Bengal.
The Shwe natural gas pipeline has already been blamed for harming communities, agriculture, fishing and the environment, while contributing to violence and human rights abuses.
“I have never encountered such strange troubles in my life as I’ve had,” Facebooker Hlahla Shwe wrote.
“I thought I would never get back to the era where we used to shout ‘Hey, the power’s back!’ wrote another user.
Currently, nearly 700 megawatts of electricity are generated from hydropower and solar power plants in Myanmar. About 1,500 megawatts come from gas- and coal-fired plants and under 10 megawatts from diesel generators to supply the national grid.
Myanmar’s maximum peak power generation capacity is about 4,200 megawatts, but the Ministry of Electricity says the total power generation capacity of 970 megawatts has been reduced due to rising LNG prices and the destruction of the Biluchaung hydropower plant.
According to military propaganda newspaper Myanma Alin, the government is working to provide electricity to the whole country by 2030, with all households gaining access to electricity.
The statement added that the public should be aware that power outages would occur during the week, so that they can take the necessary measures.
While coup leader Gen. Min Aung Hlaing fantasizes about building subways around a country connected by electric trains and cars, most areas still struggle with frequent power outages and floods, including Yangon.
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