Electricity blackouts have increased in some parts of the National District and Santo Domingo province over the last week. Residents in Arroyo Hondo, Cuesta Hermosa, Arroyo Hondo Viejo, Cuesta de Arroyo Hondo and Praderas de Arroyo Hondo have complained that they have had two-hour outages in the afternoons for more than seven days despite being on so-called 24-hour circuits. Residents of Villas Agricolas, Capotillo, 24 de Abril, Espaillat, Luperon, Gualey, Guachupita and La Cienaga are also demanding more power.
The electricity service is even more precarious in Santo Domingo East and residents there complain that the Eastern Electricity Distributor (Edeeste) is cutting them off for more than six hours both day and night.
Areas such as Los Mameyes, Villa Duarte, El Pensador and Isabelita experienced outages lasting more than seven hours last week, even though many are also on 24-hour circuits, and business owners in the Isabelita sector have said their products are being ruined by lack of refrigeration due to the long blackouts.
As reported in El Nacional, the Police are on alert in these neighborhoods as whenever there is no electricity many local people take to the streets to collect tires for burning in protests against the blackouts.
www.elnacional.com.do/nacional/2013/10/1/174337/Se-incrementan-los-apagones-en-sectores-DN-y-SD