Chief of Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) in Upper Egypt Ibrahim Khuwailid, said 90 percent of electricity pylons of the new Naqra Valley-Shalateen electricity transmission line was stolen, estimating losses between LE500 and LE600 million, which is the value for the reconstruction of the line according to the international price of iron, aluminium and copper.
The theft was carried out by armed gangs in the governorates of Red Sea and Aswan during the period of security failure that followed the 25 January revolution, Khuwailid added clarifying that no information has been provided over the reconstruction of the new line.
Around 905 pylons of the line that stretched for 325 kilometers were stolen, which hindered the process of linking it to the network few months before power to it.
EETC had filed report about the losses and the robbery to Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker. Many tribesmen of Halayeb and Shalateen sent requests to Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb and Electricity Ministry officials to expedite the creation of a new line.
Mohamed Taher, head of Halayeb’s tribesmen, said the area will not be developed without connecting the line to the public network. He added that development plan of Halayeb and Shalateen, will cost LE780 million, saying that it will be hindered due to absence of electricity.
Wageeh al-Maamoun, head of Shalateen city, called for modifying the path of the line from the desert valleys to go parallel to the coastal road so it could be easily secured.
The new line project was started by the ministry five years ago. Police and border troops arrested some of the gangs members, involved in the robbery, in Aswan and the Red Sea.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
