Electric workers erect temporary poles to supply electricity to people in Chiềng Nơi Commune. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Cường
A total of 149 households in Chiềng Nơi Commune, Mai Sơn District, the northern mountainous province of Sơn La on Monday regained access to electricity, which had been temporarily cut due to floods.
The Mai Sơn-Yên Châu Regional Power Company, the Sơn La Power Company, local authorities and residents together erected bamboo electric poles to bring in the power supplies.
Prapiroon typhoon – the second one this year- caused serious damage to the people in the commune.
Six people died, eight houses were completely buried and 81 households had to be urgently relocated. Roads to villages were seriously eroded and more than 100ha of crops of all kinds were flooded. Three suspension bridges were washed away and another was damaged.
The floods also brought down 16 low-voltage electric poles and 33 power boxes were swept away, along with many assets including electric wires.
Cầm Văn Trực, Chairman of the Chiềng Nơi People's Committee, said that the most difficult thing for the locality was the roads.
Most of roads to villages are dirt ones and the flood which caused landslides, made many places impassable even for motorbikes and some sections were so congested that vehicles carrying electric poles could not gain access.
With the spirit and responsibility of 'All for the people', the Mai Sơn-Yên Châu Regional Power Company’s staff and workers did not hesitate to face obstacles, overcoming landslides, working together with local authorities and people to cut bamboo to make poles to temporarily restore the power system.
They ensured safe power supply for the people, helping them to bring some normality back their lives after the floods.
The Sơn La power company is advising locals how to use electricity safely during the rainy season and they have a hotline which they can report power problems :19006769.
The Sơn La Power Company is directing units to closely monitor and quickly fix the problem when the floodwater recede and continue to check the grid system, power sources and report damage caused by the flood if any arise.