Addu City experiences three days of rolling blackouts due to high electricity demand; Mayor says timeline for resolution remains uncertain
Rolling power outages have commenced across the interconnected islands of Addu City during peak hours following a technical failure in a generator, sparking widespread public concern over the lack of a permanent solution. Despite prior warnings from the Mayor that electricity demand during Ramadan would exceed current capacity, residents have criticized the government for its perceived failure to take effective action to resolve the city's ongoing power crisis.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu (R) speaks with the Mayor of Addu City, Ali Nizar, during an official visit to the atoll.| President's Office | President's Office
Addu City has begun implementing scheduled power outages across various periods as the city's electricity grid struggles to cope with an increased load.
Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar told RaajjeMV on Friday that the city has been experiencing intermittent power outages for the past three days. The Mayor stated that Fenaka Corporation has informed him that the power cuts across the connected islands of Addu are due to a generator failure causing excessive load on the grid. He added that the utility company is currently working to resolve the issue.
However, Fenaka was unavailable for comment.
As Addu City continues to experience intermittent power outages, the entire city suffered a total blackout on the first Friday of Ramadan. Mayor Nizar had previously warned that electricity consumption would surge during the holy month, potentially exceeding the power grid's capacity.
However, many residents of Addu City contend that the current administration is failing to seek a permanent solution to the city's ongoing electricity crisis. Residents have expressed deep concern over the government's recurring approach of providing only temporary fixes, noting that whenever a power failure occurs, authorities typically resort to installing used generators brought in from other locations.
