Madinah recently witnessed a total power outage that affected all parts of the city. This is something that has not happened in the city for over 40 years. What made it worse is that it happened during the heat of the day. The outage was caused by two giant electricity towers that collapsed when they were hit by a rockslide. This rockslide was in turn caused by a contractor operating in an area outside but close to the city. Another disruption occurred a few days later when a contractor cut two main power cables west of the city. This caused the electricity in the city to be disconnected for an hour and severe power fluctuation that damaged electrical appliances. In my opinion, the penalties imposed on contractors are insufficient and, according to my sources, often not implemented. These penalties, which can at best be described as embarrassing, are not appropriate for the damage and harm done. To cut a long story short, information on the dramatic power outage is available. We understand that the medical equipment of patients being treated at home switched off, that home appliances were damaged and that many worshippers were unable to pray in major mosques, as they could not bear the heat. This situation repeats itself even though many of us think that it will not happen again. To be fair, power outages are not as bad as they used to be. They now occur less frequently, according to the Saudi Electricity Company. However, the damage is often considerable and so compensation must be paid. One would conclude that the modus operandi that the company follows to tackle repeated outages is substandard as fixing outages takes a long time. Subscribers in general have become used to the apologies that the company sometimes sends out after a power outage. Many people know they mean nothing, especially for residents of districts where electricity cuts are frequent. It is also shocking that repeated outages occur in new districts that are still not complete. A power outage in an area that is only nine years old with a limited number of buildings leaves residents wondering what the situation will be like when there are more residents in the future. The situation in old districts is a different story. Newspapers have reported that some residents have suffered power outages that last for several hours. In some cases, technicians could not determine the cause of the problem. Are company officials aware of this situation? We are about to enter Ramadan and the summer heat is increasing. As a result, there is great need for ACs and electric appliances. I hope that no one experiences a power outage during the holy month. I also thank the company for its decision not to disconnect power for nonpayment during Ramadan and school exams. The question, however, remains who is going to compensate those whose medical equipment and appliances were damaged? The media has to play its role in this. Human rights bodies are also required to carry out their duties and seek compensation for those affected by the outages. It is unacceptable that people are left to endure the harms of power outages. I wonder who those affected should approach to receive compensation for the damages they have suffered.
