By Jadson Lima – From Cenarium
MANAUS (AM) – The blackout that hit Manaus and municipalities in the countryside of Amazonas caused a series of impacts, such as the interruption of the water supply in several areas of the capital, as well as the rupture of a large pipeline. Residents of the countryside of the state reported to CENARIUM the difficulties faced amid the power outage that affected the region.
In Manaus, after the power outage was recorded around 11 p.m. on Friday, the 7th, a large pipeline burst on Coronel Teixeira Avenue, in the Ponta Negra neighborhood, in the eastern zone of the Amazonian capital. According to the utility company Águas de Manaus, the pipeline leak was caused by pressure fluctuations resulting from the power supply failure due to the shutdown of the 500 kV Jurupari-Silves transmission line.
The company reported that workers began operating on-site early Saturday morning, the 8th, after the Operational Control Center identified the problem. The teams are expected to complete repairs this afternoon, and the supply service should be normalized within 48 hours in neighborhoods of the West, North, and Central-West zones of the city.
“Repair work began early this Saturday, the 8th, and is expected to be completed this afternoon. During the emergency service, neighborhoods in the North, West, and Central-West zones may experience water shortages. The supply will be gradually restored after the service is completed, with normalization expected within 48 hours,” reads part of a statement.
A resident of a housing complex in Manacapuru (AM), one of the cities affected by the blackout early Saturday morning, the 8th, housewife Elzilene Morais told CENARIUM, in an outraged tone, that the company should be held responsible for the inconvenience caused to customers. With an elderly mother and a son requiring special care, she highlighted the difficulties faced after the frequent blackouts recorded in the city.
“My mother is 72 years old, has memory problems, and doesn’t understand when the power goes out, getting stressed due to the heat. The same goes for my 18-year-old son, who is a person with disabilities and needs special care, such as a climate-controlled environment. What this company does to us, the residents of Manacapuru, borders on disrespect because this is not an isolated case. They should be held accountable for this,” said the self-employed worker.
Meanwhile, service provider Mayck Sales told the report that he suffers the consequences of the blackout, which he described as frequent in the municipality. For him, the power supply disruption affects his professional life since his rest period is interrupted due to the lack of electricity. He also criticized the utility company Amazonas Energia.
“Manacapuru is one of the municipalities most affected by the company’s lack of consideration in recent years. We suffer the consequences almost every week with power outages, and Amazonas Energia never actually solves this problem. They say they make constant repairs on the transmission line, but just a stronger wind is enough to cut off the electricity,” he said.
According to Sales, on the afternoon of Friday, the 7th, the city had already experienced a power supply interruption. “Yesterday we were already being impacted since the afternoon, and during our rest period, the company did it again. This is bad because it also affects our productivity at work. Personally, I don’t feel as affected, but I can only imagine the people who have small children and elderly relatives at home,” he pointed out.
In a statement, Amazonas Energia reported that the power supply interruption in the municipality, located 69 kilometers from Manaus, was caused by the rupture of a 69 kV cable that transmits and ensures energy for the city, located on the Journalist Phelippe Daou Bridge. The utility company stated that the service was restored at 4:48 p.m. on Friday.
Edited by Izaías Godinho
Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves
