The erratic supply of electricity has further worsened. Except very important areas such as the Bogyoke market, Tarmwe market, and a few other localities, residents in Rangoon said power black outs are the order of the day in most townships.

“When the electricity comes we are glad. Rice cookers are turned on but the supply is cut off abruptly leaving the rice half cooked. If we are burning a CD, the disc gets corrupted as power goes off suddenly,” a resident at the Lanmadaw Street in Rangoon lamented to Mizzima.

Earlier, authorities supplied electricity and effected power cuts on a rotational basis in different townships, but recently the supply of power has become much more erratic, residents said.

“Once it goes off, it takes at least an hour or two to restore supply. It comes on and goes off all the time,” said a resident in North Okklapa .

A resident at the Lanmadaw Street said, he had called up the township electricity department to complain about the irregular supply of electricity. But the officials did not bother to give him a proper explanation for the regular black outs.

“Terrible power black-outs have started. The supply of electricity in Rangoon now is on a rotational basis,” a local resident said.

One possible reason for the recent power shortage in Rangoon could be that the authorities have stopped supplying electricity to Rangoon from Lawpita hydro-project, the largest hydro-project in Burma located in Kayan State , a source in Rangoon said.

“No more electricity from Lawpita. It is reserved only for Naypyidaw,” the source added.

The Rangoon Divisional Electricity Department identified important areas where they have to provide uninterrupted electricity and several areas, which used to be regarded as VIP areas, including Bahan Township have been deleted from the list of VIP areas, the source said.

“We have made requests over telephone to provide us uninterrupted electricity. And officials at the electricity department have told us that they would forward our request but so far there is no response,” said the local from Lanmadaw Street .

Though most townships in Rangoon have been facing regular power black-outs since October, the industrial township of Hlaing Tharyar has been receiving regular power supply. However, workers at the industrial zone in Hlaing Tharyar Township said they received a notice yesterday stating that electricity would be cut-off in the township from 5 p.m . to 11 p.m.

“We received a notice from the electricity department saying that electricity will be cut-off from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Since we are in the administrative office, we have to inform all the 500 industries in the township. But most industries use their own generators for power supply,” a manager in the Hlaing Tharyar industrial zone told Mizzima.