Council of Maakurathu island in Raa atoll has said that its residents will shut down the office of state utilities company, FENAKA Corporation if a solution for the electricity issues is not reached within 24 hours.

The council’s President Hassan Ali stated that the island with a population of around 1,000 has been experiencing continous power cuts since late November, and that it has become a nuisance for island residents.

He further stated that the island has been facing power outages that come and go for over one and a half years.

Ali stressed that this has been an “unsolved” issue for the residents for a long time. Although temporary solutions are always provided, Ali stressed that the temporary fixes have brought more damages to property. As such, local shops in the island have faced innumerable losses due to damage to iced goods and the council has also been getting ever-increasing complaints of damage to household electronic equipment.

The island residents have since reached the decision to shut down the FENAKA office in the island, having protested outside the engine house on Saturday evening.

Although former President Abdulla Yameen’s government had put in a lot of work to bring a solution to the blackouts during his tenure, Ali stated that back then FENAKA had not cooperated with them.

Highlighting that the power cuts have been more recurrent since the new manager took over the engine house, the council President stated that he is accused of damaging the engine house property 'deliberately'. The new manager was evidently given the post under political influence during the Yameen administration.

RaajjeMV understands that electricity is generated to the entire island through three generators, a 160-kilowatt generator, and two 80-kilowatt generators. However, the bigger generator has been broken for some time.