wiredinUSA October 2012

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Picture : Alessandro Paiva

ASIA & AFRICA NEWS

West Nile welcomes hydropower

be unfair for officials to start over-charging for the power, an act she feared may force people to abandon it because many can’t afford to pay expensive power bills, while Loice Kuweocwenyi said she was looking forward to using power for cooking, ironing and lighting her house for the first time. Eng Dr Gabriel Aridru, the state minister for investment, predicted economic boom in theWest Nile region after the commissioning of the 3.5MW of Nyagak power dam. He said there will be a positive impact because a number of investors will move into the region to build factories, adding that this will in turn create jobs and economic opportunities unavailable elsewhere.

The NewVision website reports that a 3.5MW hydropower plant in the West Nile will help spur economic growth in the region. Michael Ozele, a resident of Zingili village, Paidha town council in Zombo district said of the project: “I’m very happy. This means that we can now charge our phones at a reduced price,” and he was optimistic that the electricity generated from water would be available for 24 hours a day, as promised. Another resident, Phiona Kwututy, said it would be an opportunity to establish small-scale industries, especially for juice and fresh fish, to help alleviate poverty in the area. She said, however, that it would

ASIA / AFRICA NEWS

wiredInUSA - October 2012

wiredInUSA - October 2012

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