By Ragan M. Conteh

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament has called on government to provide alternative sources of living for the people residing in the town of Bumbuna close to the national Hydro Dam.

The Hydro dam is in Tonkolili District some miles away from the district headquarters, Magburaka town.

The Deputy Speaker had also called for a board, giving advice for a special taskforce, who should manage the forests and waters around the dam.

He said that the Charlotte dam is gone and it should have been able to generate electricity for most parts of the country.

He stressed on the need for civic education regarding the issue of electricity generation in the country.

Hon Tawa Conteh explained how EDSA has indirectly become part of the problem because of its persistent blackouts and lack of electricity provision in many communities across.

He added that 70% of EDSA workers working in the technical sector are either on contract or part time workers, an issue he said has compounded the problem.

And because some workers at EDSA are not paid by the government, these workers rely on “shady deals” as they exploit people which have results to many communities being deprived of having regular power supply.

He said most of these  workers would switch off transformers and demand money from people for their personal aggrandizements.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Mohamed Brima, said due to illegal activities mostly from external forces the Bumbuna dam supplies now less than 12 megawatts than in normal times.

He fears that the situation is so worsen to the extent that even in the rainy season the dam might not supply the power required for people to get electricity.

He added that the Bumbuna Hydro dam, the Bankasoska dam, and Charlotte village hydro dams are seriously in critical situations due to forests degradation by people.