Emergency centres to cope with electricity blackouts are being set up in every Bahrain governorate, with the first set for a launch this week in Muharraq to deal with faults and speed up maintenance work.

The Energy Ministry has also increased the number of mobile generators from 30 to 94.

It aims to hire 35 technicians from construction companies for the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA), to boost maintenance crews during the summer to cope with power cuts.

Work teams have been increased from nine to 15, Minister Dr Abdulhussain Mirza said.

The ministry has asked the Municipal and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry not to grant permits for extensions to buildings without a permit from the EWA. Power cut cases have fallen to 11,719 in June and July this year from 14,924 during the same period last year.

The duration of blackouts has also come down to 84,318 hours during the period this year from 113,430 last year, Dr Mirza said. – TradeArabia News Service