BY MISGANAW ASNAKE
ADDIS ABABA– The electricity has been fully restored and fellow citizens in conflict affected are now involving in various commercial activities due to the power supply repair, Amhara and Afar states announced.
Amhara State Electric Utility Deputy CEO and Head Solomon Tassew told this report that following the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA), areas where electric service was interrupted are now maintained, restored and rehabilitated. The electric services upon maintenance are fully restored in the northern part of the state from Debresina areas up to Alamata and Korem.
In the west from Gondar to Humera and Wolkait areas, electric services are back and restored. However, in some pocket areas of the state, electric has not yet gone operational since it requires immense resources and consumes time, he said. “When we maintained the war ravaged and looted electric infrastructure, we have spent billions of Birr. The amount of damage was identified having carried out study to restart the electric service,” he added.
As full restoration of damaged electric infrastructure in the state needs some 21 million USD, he called on donor organizations and development partners to provide the state with financial support. Afar State Electric Utility Head Eng. Yassin Ali Usman on his part said electric infrastructure has been highly damaged for two years in the state because of the conflit in north Ethiopia.
“To restore and connect again the electric grid line, it needed huge budget, human resources and materials. We made research in places where electricity supply was interrupted and how much material is needed to restore the power with a view to providing electric services to the community,” he added. As to him, in the state zone 2, Abala, Berhale and Koneba woreda electric grid lines and stations have been repaired and started providing full service. Electric service restoration in the state has reached 95 percent and peace is fully restored, and the community is now running activities peacefully, he noted.
THE ETHIOPIAN WEDNESDAY 8 MARCH 2023
