The return of power cuts and insecurity are fueling social tension. As the dry season barely begins, signs of discontent are already emerging. Technicians have been attempting to repair the faulty TAC 1 engine since Thursday.
Three hours or more. That is the duration of power outages in certain zones of the Antananarivo Interconnected Network (RIA). As the dry season period is just beginning, power cuts are already returning in force. A situation that feeds user frustration.
Jirama explains these lengthy interruptions by the breakdown of the TAC 1 generator at the Ambohimanambola thermal power plant. A failure that comes at a bad time for the national company, just as declining hydroelectric production begins to strain electricity supply. The problem is all the more concerning as the State had attempted to anticipate difficulties linked to the dry season.
Diesel fuel was thus imported directly by the State to supply Jirama's thermal power plants over the next six months. The objective is to compensate for insufficient hydroelectric production during this period. But equipment failures are now disrupting this strategy and reviving concerns about the network's capacity to meet demand.
According to a Jirama source, "the generators normally used to compensate during peak hours are currently running at full capacity constantly and this is causing the breakdowns. Unfortunately, the equipment is old and spare parts must be imported from abroad. For TAC 1, the replacement part is already on order."
Political Dimension
However, technical explanations are difficult to hear against the backdrop of social frustration. Users are already beginning to express their discontent on the ground. Yesterday evening, residents of a locality in Anosiala blocked traffic by burning tires to protest electricity cuts. On the question of anticipation, the issue of drinking water availability must also be addressed now.
Projects aimed at strengthening water production and distribution infrastructure are underway in major cities and several localities across the country, including Antananarivo. Their acceleration appears necessary to avoid potential shortages when the dry season reaches its most critical level.
The question is not merely socio-economic. Last year, the water and electricity crisis was the trigger for popular unrest that led to the fall of the Rajoelina administration. The management of these two resources carries significant political weight. Explanations about the technical difficulties faced by Jirama are no longer sufficient to ease popular tension.
This energy tension is compounded by insecurity that has already fueled anxiety for several weeks. The discovery last Sunday of the lifeless bodies of two young girls in Ambohimanga, followed by the murder of a videographer by a burglar in Antohamadinika early in the week, have revived population concerns. The economic context further intensifies this pressure.
The school year is approaching, bringing with it expenses for families: registration fees, supplies and other charges. Rising prices of school supplies further strain already stretched household budgets.
Garry Fabrice Ranaivoson