2024-05-05 03:24:19
Residents of the Koumassi district in Douala can finally breathe a sigh of relief. After several days of major disruptions in the electricity supply following a violent fire which ravaged several structures on the 90 kV Logbaba-Koumassi line, the National Electricity Transport Company (SONATREL) has just announced the imminent return of power.
Rapid and effective mobilization of technical teams
From the first hours following the disaster, SONATREL technical teams mobilized to assess the extent of the damage and secure the affected area. A responsiveness praised by many observers, which testifies to the commitment of this public company to its users.
« We are aware of the immense inconvenience caused by this prolonged outage“, declared a SONATREL official contacted by 237online.com. “ This is why we immediately deployed all necessary means to restore electricity as quickly as possible. »
Rehabilitation work day and night
And these means are considerable. According to our sources, SONATREL has dispatched a veritable armada of engineers and technicians to the site, who are working hard, day and night, to restore the structures damaged by the flames.
From high-voltage cables to transformers to pylons, all electrical infrastructure must be carefully inspected, repaired or replaced. A titanic work which, according to SONATREL, should bear fruit today, with a return to normal of the electricity supply at the Koumassi source station.
But beyond the emergency response, this fire raises questions about the vulnerability of the Cameroonian electricity network. Because the fire, we learned, started from the plank market, located in the famous “ corridors » electricity transmission lines.
These security corridors, supposed to be free of any occupation to prevent precisely this type of incident, are in reality often invaded by uncontrolled construction and risky activities. A real headache for SONATREL, which must deal with demographic pressure and the rapid urbanization of large cities like Douala.
It is time, perhaps, to fundamentally rethink the management of these strategic corridors. Because each fire, each prolonged outage, Cameroon’s entire economy suffers, not to mention the daily lives of populations plunged into darkness and heat.
Let us hope that the announced return of light to Koumassi will also mark the start of long-term reflection on the sustainable security of our national electricity network. The Cameroonians are waiting for SONATREL around the corner. With impatience, of course, but also with a certain worry for the future.