2023-04-26 01:05:55
Baghdad / Obelisk Al-Hadath: Severe storms and acts of vandalism cause power outages in Iraq, the latest of which was the fall of 20 high-voltage electric towers in the Sayed Dakhil district of Dhi Qar Governorate.
Over the past years, electricity towers have been the target of terrorist operations, which exploit the presence of these giant poles in Iraq and the deserts to carry out acts of sabotage.
The Director of Dhi Qar Electricity Distribution, Abdul Majeed Alaa, said that the district of Sayed Dakhil was one of the most affected areas in the governorate as a result of the dust storm that hit the governorate, which caused severe damage to the national grid, pointing to the fall of 20 high-voltage towers on the 11 kV line.
In Karbala, the Obelisk correspondent documented the fall of a number of electric poles during the severe storm that struck the province.
In Babil, three people, including a woman, were killed after being electrocuted in three separate incidents in Babil Governorate during the recent rains.
Electricity towers usually fall due to strong storms that cause strong winds and heavy rains, and these factors increase the possibility of damage to electrical towers. When the electricity wire is exposed to strong winds, what is known as the wire swing occurs, which can cause the towers to break and fall.
Electromagnetic storms can also cause electrical effects in electrical wires and towers, which may lead to high voltage electric currents that damage electrical equipment and destroy towers.
To avoid these problems, electricity towers are designed in a way that can withstand harsh weather conditions, and these towers undergo rigorous tests to verify their ability to withstand different weather conditions and ensure the safety and continuity of electricity delivery to different areas.
The hours of supplying electric power decreased in a number of the country’s governorates during the past month, while the ministry attributed this decline to bad weather conditions.
And the Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia’a Al-Sudani, visited the National Electricity Control Center, which is concerned with distributing electricity production quotas for the capital, Baghdad, and the provinces, and stressed the need to identify the causes of the phenomenon that citizens complain about, represented by the power cuts at the beginning and end of each month.
He stressed that the government’s current approach to gas investment is in the interest of the electricity production system, and that the memorandums of understanding and maintenance contracts that the government recently concluded with General Electric and Siemens aim to address the problems that have accompanied production and distribution for years.
In previous years, terrorist operations caused power outages in many areas by targeting towers.
During 2021, the statistics indicated that the number of towers that were vandalized during a period of 6 months amounted to 106 energy towers.
In 2022, the targeting rate increased to 174 towers, which exposed them to destruction and caused harm to citizens.
The electricity file in Iraq represents a continuous dilemma that has accompanied Iraq since 2003, as successive governments tried to find solutions by constructing new production stations, but it is no longer sufficient to supply citizens with energy throughout the day.
However, the movements of the Sudanese government indicate that the current government is striving to solve the electricity crisis, after the Ministry of Electricity signed a memorandum of understanding with the American company to develop the electricity system and raise production efficiency.
The signing ceremony of the memorandum was sponsored by Prime Minister Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani, which comes within the framework of the government program that aims to develop the electricity sector in Iraq.
Prepared by Muhammad Al-Khafaji
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