Alive in Baghdad: Still no electricity surge - 12.01.2008 (video)

[Billy Burnett]

Still no electricity surge - 12.01.2008
http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2008/12/01/still-no-electricity-surge/

Everyday Baghdad is under curfew for at least 10 hours. On Fridays they are under curfew for a grueling 15 hours.The implementation of the curfew has destroyed Baghdad's once vaunted nightlife. While neighborhoods such as Mansur once boasted nightlife to rival that of New York's East Village or San Francisco's Mission District, now the streets are quiet by six each evening.The extended curfew, following Baghdad's new security plan has been just one more insult to Iraqis. Where they once boasted an artistic, worldly, and highly cultured way of life, now they find themselves bored as often as they are frightened.This video features b-roll, intercut with text comments from Iraqis about the affect of the curfew, because they were to scared to be on camera. As the occupation continues and life becomes more dangerous each day, it seems more and more likely we will rely on this kind of format to bring you images of life in Baghdad.As always, please consider making a donation to support our correspondents in Baghdad and continue our work bringing out images of daily life in Baghdad, against the backdrop of violence and war.

---

VIDEO - Iraq, Baghdad – The electricity is the second greatest concern for the Iraqi people after security. Iraqis have suffered from a lack of electricity before the war and have been angry to see it continue after. The excuse most often given by Saddam’s regime was the impact of the sanctions and the lack of spare parts. The new Iraqi government blames the security situation and the lack of funding for new electricity providers.

Iraqi citizens have developed new ways to provide electricity to support their daily life. Diesel generators become a common piece of equipment to be seen in any neighborhood. You must open a membership with the generator’s owner and pay 15,000 Iraqi Dinar, approximately $10,for each ampere used per month. Normally an average house in Baghdad will be allowed to take about 10 to 20 ampere per day. This is barely enough to run the family’s fans, refrigerator, and a television. In better circumstances, the diesel generators provide power for 10 hours per day, but many Iraqi families cannot afford this luxury service.

Other Iraqis depend on their own gasoline generators, gasoline is approximately $40 US dollars for a full tank. This tank is enough for approximately 5 operating hours, but even getting the fuel for the generators can be a problem. For example, you must wait in a 4 to 5 hour queue at a gas station. Furthermore, the cost of the generator alone ranges between $500 and $1500.

Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity has repeatedly made statements about the electricity improvements coming soon. However, the Minister of Electricity is considered by many to be one of Iraq’s worst comedians due to large number of statements he’s given about improving the electricity, yet there have been few major improvements in electricity since 2003.

This week Alive in Baghdad brings you various interviews with Iraqis suffering the endless electricity problems in Baghdad.