Residents of Grajaú, south of São Paulo, set fire to tires on Avenida Belmira Marin this Friday morning (12/12). This is a protest against Enel, the electricity concessionaire in the capital of São Paulo and the metropolitan region, after 48 hours of interruption of electricity supply.
The power outage was the result of strong wind gusts, up to 96 km/h, which hit the state during an extratropical cyclone. The wind damaged the dealership’s infrastructure. As of Friday afternoon, 631,838 customers were without electricity in the Enel concession area, including 440,530 in the capital of São Paulo alone.
Video shows demonstration in Grajaú
The images shared on social networks by the Grajaú Tem profile show the demonstration carried out by residents of the neighborhood this Friday. Another angle, obtained by the report, shows the traffic generated on the road as a result of the protest. Look:
“Three days already, you’ve been lighting it up. The Enel guys come by and don’t do anything,” reported a resident. “Let’s see if they solve the problem now. Let’s see if they will see us here,” he said. He then threatened to “block” the other side of the road if the dealership did not resolve the problem. The report reveals that there is still a lack of electricity in some areas of Grajaú.
In a press release, the Public Security Secretariat (SSP) indicated that the Military Police (PM) accompanied the demonstration. “During the event, protesters placed tires on the road and set fire there, causing traffic obstructions. Police and fire crews acted immediately, controlling the flames and clearing the road. The demonstration ended without further complications,” the ministry said.
Three days in the dark and lack of water
In Vila Sônia, residents are on their third day without electricity. Since last Thursday (11/12), the power outage has also caused a water shortage, as the pumps rely on electricity to operate. At Metropolisespharmacist Débora Silvestre Zaremba said Enel had given several deadlines to restore service, but none of them were met. Today, the company says there is no forecast.
“People don’t have food because everything is bad. They go up and down the stairs in the dark because the emergency lights are off. My mother is almost 80 years old and I had to take her out of there and take her to a relative’s house. I can’t stay there,” he said.
Débora’s neighbor, Camila Pires, project manager, said she had to rent accommodation because of the power outage. “We are in a ridiculous situation, our hands are tied, no one is helping us. »
Enel does not give a forecast for energy restoration
Asked by Metropolises As of Thursday evening (11/12), Enel did not give a specific deadline for restoring electricity to customers who are still in the dark.
The company specified that “its teams remain mobilized in emergency response operations”. “In some localities, the restoration is more complex, as it involves the complete reconstruction of the network, the replacement of poles, transformers and, sometimes, the rerouting of kilometers of cables,” he explained in a note.
The dealership highlighted that it had restored power supply to around 1.2 million customers on Thursday evening, out of the more than 2.2 million affected by the extratropical cyclone that hit the dealership area this Wednesday (12/10).
“Approximately 300,000 new cases arrived today (Thursday) requesting service, due to persistent winds. Currently, the company is working to restore service to approximately 1.3 million customers (15.6% of the distributor’s base),” the note said.
Still according to Enel, firefighters recorded more than 1,300 calls related to falling trees.
“The weather event caused serious damage to electrical infrastructure, affecting the supply of several regions. To accelerate the restoration of the system, the distributor is mobilizing more than 1,600 teams in the field throughout the day,” indicated the dealer.
To respond to priority situations, the company indicated that it was making more than 700 generators available. “Enel São Paulo reaffirms that it will continue to work until electricity is restored to all customers affected by the effects of the cyclone,” the company said.
Lack of electricity has caused water shortages in São Paulo neighborhoods
According to the Basic Sanitation Company of the State of São Paulo (Sabesp), the lack of electricity is preventing the supply of homes. Until Friday morning, the neighborhoods of Parelheiros, Parque do Carmo and Vila Romana, in the capital of São Paulo, were without water.
Guarulhos, in the Pimentas region, Francisco Morato, in the Jardim Arpoador district, and the central region of Caieiras, all located in the metropolitan region, also suffered from the lack of water. In more critical regions, the company has made tanker trucks available.
Sabesp explained, in a note, the relationship between the power outage and the impact on the water supply. “Operation relies on electricity to pump water to the properties served due to the complexity of the system, the large population served, the long distances traveled and the rugged terrain of each region.”
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