With temperatures rising to (42) degrees Celsius in Sudan, spending the hours of fasting in such weather with power outages is a “hard task” for many Sudanese.
Electricity service does not cover all residences in the Sudanese capital and the states at one time, so the government company resorts to programming four-hour cuts at noon, and the same at night in some periods.
“The time here passes slowly during the day,” says Muawiya (27 years old), who works in a small market in the center of the Sudanese capital, as he left his house in the south of the capital due to the electricity cuts.
“I will go home in the evening to have breakfast, until that time I have to work in the market as the temperature rises above (40) degrees, we will use water sprinklers to cool the place,” Muawiya added.
And if Muawiyah did not have anything to prevent him from leaving the shop, he might go to a mosque close to his place of work that provides cooling during the hours of the day during the month of Ramadan. He spends the daylight hours and thinks he might quench his thirst in this way.
The Sudanese face difficulties during the summer that falls on the month of Ramadan. This year, the mild weather during the first half of Ramadan, with temperatures dropping to less than (35) degrees Celsius, contributed to alleviating the difficulties.
And the government meteorological authority had warned of a rise in temperatures today and tomorrow, provided that they begin to gradually decrease during the end of this week.
And the electricity cuts that resumed in the past hours in an unannounced manner, may double the suffering of the Sudanese during the noon periods with fasting, although some resorted to using solar energy in homes, but this service is not available to the majority with its high price despite the customs exemptions for its equipment for the purpose of encouraging the departure of consumers. than the public network that produces less.
It is difficult for the majority of the population to purchase private generators to supply homes with electricity during power cuts, because their prices are expensive compared to the monthly income, which is sometimes not enough to spend on the minimum living conditions, according to economic analyses.
Environmental expert Ahmed Hussein told Ultra Sudan that the ideal solution to rising temperatures is to adopt environmentally friendly housing patterns. He said that the majority of buildings in Sudan – especially cities – are designed to reduce the percentage of open balconies and verandahs, and the lack of interest of residents. Planting trees, flowering plants, and herbs in the yard.
Hussein believes that the patterns used for housing in Sudan – even in the countryside – have become dominated by the urban character, such as closed buildings and fewer windows. Consideration should be given to living quarters in the house, such as building a site out of primitive materials in the yard to spend the afternoons.
And he adds: “Staying at a high temperature in the house, especially for the elderly, is a tedious and difficult task that requires searching for non-typical solutions, such as changing the way the house is built, or adding sites in the yard of the house for such times.”
He says that the month of May will also be difficult and may witness a significant rise in temperatures, so it is better to search for options that may mitigate the impact of power cuts.
Ultra Sudan