Quynh Luu: People suffer because of electricity!

(Baonghean.vn) - Currently, 26 out of 33 communes and towns in Quynh Luu district have completed the handover of their power grids to Quynh Luu Power Company for management. However, in reality, after the handover, many localities have suffered serious damage and deterioration due to a lack of investment in upgrading the power lines, leading to power outages, weak electricity, and affecting the production and daily lives of the people.

Damaged and dilapidated power poles, even temporary ones, degraded wiring, and poor electricity quality are the realities facing households in the four hamlets of Nam Tien, Thang Loi, Bac Loi, and Tan An in An Hoa commune. The power grid, built over 20 years ago, has seriously deteriorated, with the power supply radius from the transformer station to many locations exceeding the regulations by two to three times. Without repairs or upgrades, residents have lived in constant anxiety for years due to weak, intermittent electricity that fails to meet their daily needs. Mr. Nguyen Van Khanh, a resident of Tan An hamlet, An Hoa commune, Quynh Luu district, said: “Every day at 4 pm, my carpentry workshop can’t operate, and I can’t cook rice because the electricity is too weak; many days the rice doesn’t cook properly and I have to eat it raw.”

The utility poles are dilapidated, and the electricity meter is hung just over 1 meter above the road surface.

It is known that after taking over the electricity grid of Tan An village, the Quynh Luu Power Branch replaced all the electricity meters used to measure and count the electricity sold to residents. However, the đáng thing is that these meters are all hung low to the ground, between 1 and 1.5 meters, posing a safety risk to residents, especially children. Because there are no power poles, many residents are forced to use trees to hang power lines to avoid obstruction. During the rainy season, power poles break, get damaged, and the power lines deteriorate… no one can be sure that the lives and property of the residents are safe.

Faced with this situation, residents and local authorities have repeatedly petitioned the electricity sector to replace the old poles and reimburse the initial investment, but this issue remains unresolved. “The government's policy is that the electricity sector must reimburse the people, but they haven't done so yet. Furthermore, despite not having reimbursed the costs, the electricity service provided to the people is very poor,” said Mr. Duong Ha Nam, head of Tan An village, An Hoa commune, Quynh Luu district.

Due to unstable power supply, Thanh Mai Enterprise suffered losses of hundreds of millions of dong because of a machine fire.

The handover of rural low-voltage power grids to the electricity sector for management is a major government policy aimed at ensuring people have access to safe, high-quality electricity at prices regulated by the State. However, after the handover, the benefits have completely reversed. The electricity quality is extremely weak, disrupting daily life. Appliances such as televisions, refrigerators, electric fans, and rice cookers are virtually unusable, especially during peak hours from 9-12 noon and 2-8 pm. Furthermore, due to the weak and fluctuating power supply, household appliances are often damaged or destroyed. This has caused considerable frustration among the people. Ms. Nguyen Thi Dan, a resident of Quyet Tien village, Quynh Bang commune, Quynh Luu district, added: "My family has all the modern conveniences, but the electricity is too weak to use. Sometimes we have to turn off the TV and refrigerator, and we have to cook rice using a wood-burning stove or a gas stove. The weak electricity prevents the fan from working, and many nights the children are too hot to sleep."

Poor electricity quality not only affects people's daily lives but also directly impacts the production activities of businesses. For example, at Thanh Mai Spirulina Production Company in Quynh Luong commune, the weak power supply has caused dozens of motors, dryers, spinning machines, and air conditioners to burn out repeatedly, resulting in hundreds of millions of dong in losses. Not only is the power weak, but Quynh Luu power company also frequently cuts off electricity, disrupting and delaying production, leading to significant losses for the company. To overcome these difficulties, the company has had to split the power supply to run in different areas, and during power outages, they use generators, but even then, the power supply is still insufficient to keep the machines running. Ms. Tran Thi Thao, Director of Thanh Mai Co., Ltd., Quynh Luong commune, Quynh Luu district, said: "Quynh Luu Power Company often cuts off electricity. When it's cut, we have to stop working, but when the power comes back on, the machines run slowly, stall, and then shut down completely, costing us over 500 million VND in losses due to damaged equipment."

To help people stabilize their lives and feel secure in their production, it is suggested that relevant authorities, especially the electricity sector, should soon develop plans to invest in upgrading the power lines and poles, building new substations, and separating electricity sources for residential use from electricity for production to ensure the quality of electricity as well as the safety of people's lives and property.

Thanh Toan