Residents in Palembang stage demonstration against PLN
Friday, April 26 2002 - 02:54 AM WIB
The power supply interruption from the Bukit Asam power plant was the second time this week after a similar interruption hit the power plant on Monday. The power interruption on Wednesday caused almost a total blackout for several hours in Palembang and several areas in South Sumatra province including Musi Banyuasin and Ogan Komering Ilir.
The electricity supply disconnection has angered the local residents. Villagers in several areas in Palembang, for example, lost their patient and then joined a demonstration against the electricity company in the city. They demanded the company to immediately cope with the acute shortage of power supply in the area.
The South Sumatra power grid which supplies the electricity to South Sumatra and Lampung provinces has suffered an acute shortage of power supply during the past two years due to a delay in the construction of new power plants.
Almost all residential areas in the two provinces have no choices but to let their power supply being cut off in rotation for several hours a day due to the power supply shortage. The interruption of power supply from steam power plant PLTU Bukit Asam, one of the region?s main electricity suppliers, certainly worsened the electricity supply in the region. (*)