Eshan Maitra
Doesn’t this make you wish you were in Venezuela right now? Amazingly true that Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has included Friday as well as their one of public of 3-day weekend for till June. But this was taken for an urgent measure. Venezuela is at an emergency situation for shortage of electricity.
Though the decision may sound awesome. Actually, the situation is in deep quicksand. Ironically, the dam that supplies 40 percent to the country’s electricity grid, has been causing the worst drought in Venezuela in 47 years. Not only that, excessive use and environmental changing also decreased the dam’s water level very low. El Niño is the hydro-electricity source that supplies 75 percent power of Capital’s power. But currently the risks of running the plant further may harm the facility’s turbines. Currently, the risk resides at 243 meters above sea level. If it goes 3 more meters below, both agricultural water supply and country’s major electricity supplying source will be left devastated. This might crumble the whole country.
In order to tackle this extreme situation, the President himself pleaded to the people on television to reduce the energy and water consumption. Also declared 3-Day weekend. Though, many are criticizing his decision and ability to take such non-creative measure. A Local Government worker Luis Miguel Lopez branded the decision illogical and mentioned, people will be home consuming everything at the same rate.