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KHARTOUM, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Water shortage, fluctuation of electricity supply and fuel scarcity joined together to spoil the joy of the residents of the Sudanese capital Khartoum with Ramadan Month, which comes this year in heated atmospheres.
Despite promises by Khartoum State's Water Corporation of "a summer free of power cuts," yet most of the areas of Khartoum are suffering from water shortage.
Citizens of Al-Azhary town, one of the biggest neighborhoods of the capital Khartoum, complained about water shortage which increased their suffering during the month of Ramadan.
"There is no water at all for more than five days. Most of the citizens in the neighborhood resort to purchasing water," Al-Tigani Adam, a local resident told Xinhua.
"Water is very important, particularly in Ramadan. This is a real suffering and the concerned authorities must intervene to find quick solutions," he added.
Members of Khartoum State's Legislative Council lashed out at the state's Ministries of Infrastructure and Water Corporation, accusing them of failure to fulfill their promises.
The water crisis coincides with a fluctuation in the electric power supply, particularly during daylight hours. It increases the suffering of Khartoum's population, especially under the high temperatures which on Tuesday registered 47 degree Celsius.
Late last May the Sudanese Ministry of Electricity and Water Resources promised to stop programmed power cuts by advent of current June.
Earlier, the Sudanese electricity ministry said it faced a five-percent deficit of power supply during peak hours, and that generated electricity by Sudan's biggest dam, Merowe Dam, was insufficient for consumption by the capital Khartoum alone, even if it operated at the maximum capacity of 1,250 megawatts.
Last August Sudan adopted a plan to increase hydro and thermal electricity generation with the aim to add 3,155 megawatts of electricity by 2020 to bridge the gap in electricity supply.
In December last year, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) warned that Sudan could face an electricity production problem if it does not establish alternative projects which take into account decreased rainfall and increased consumption.
Access to electricity is available to 35 percent of Sudan's population whilst over 25 million people have not yet been connected to the national electricity grid, according to the UNDP.
In addition to the water and electricity crises, the Sudanese capital has also been witnessing a fuel crisis for the past four days, where hundreds of cars crowded at the gas stations.
Official comment on the fuel crisis are not yet available from the concerned authorities.
However, a source close to the Sudanese energy ministry told Xinhua Tuesday that the authorities believed that it was better to change the distribution system of the fuel shares during the night instead of during the day due to the high temperatures.
Sudan has lost two third of its oil production following the separation of South Sudan in 2011. Enditem
