SESB does improvement works around Papar
Published on: Thursday, January 20, 2022
By: Sidney Skinner
An SESB technician puts his back into changing the damaged component along the overhead lines servicing Kg Gramatai.
SABAH Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) has performed improvement work on its system in Kg Gramatai and a “re-lamping exercise” at Kg Lakut, both of which are in Papar.The latter is slated to be carried out at Kg Suok-Dambai, in another part of the district, later this year.
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This action was prompted by feedback about the power irregularities at the first village, as well as the lack of illumination along the access roads to the rest.
A consumer from Kg Gramatai claimed to have been receiving insufficient electricity as his household appliances had not been operating at their full capacity.
On the other hand, a motorist expressed his concern about the traffic hazards posed by the unlit sections of the stretch to Kg Suok-Dambai.
A SESB spokesman said a voltage drop was to blame for the problems at the former location.
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He said damaged components had given rise to this situation.
The damaged lightning-arrester.
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“Our technicians replaced a ‘lightning arrester’ along the transmission lines, servicing Kg Gramatai, and blown fuse at a transformer in the area,” he said.
“It took two days to complete these repairs due to the difficulties in reaching the village.
“The earth-road is in bad shape and one part of the journey involved a river-crossing.”
He said, in the past, some hardship had been encountered in travelling to the village, when it rained heavily, due to the slippery terrain and rising levels of the river.
“Thankfully, there was good weather in this instance so our staff could go and come back safely.”
“We monitored the supply to the village after the work was done and found that it had stabilised.”
When asked about the condition of the transformer, he said this installation was in good working order.
Nevertheless, the spokesman said, SESB would try to step up efforts to maintain its assets in Kg Gramatai to minimise any supply-related inconveniences caused to the rural folk there.
BISUS of Papar said the fluorescent lights in his house had a tendency to dim and then return to their original brightness all by themselves.
“I have been contacting SESB’s 15454 – Customer Management Centre – repeatedly about this, since the beginning of December,” he said.
“Despite being assured that each of my reports had been forwarded to the company’s technical section, the problem still persists.
“At one stage, I was made to understand that there might be insufficient power in my area.”
He feared that the erratic supply would damage his electrical items.
“I hope that SESB will rectify this situation before I incur the added expense of having to repair these devices.”
Bisus said it was unfair for consumers to have to pay more for electricity, considering its service was, at best, unreliable.
He said one of his neighbours had phoned the company’s Papar office about the same grievance.
“My friend was told that there might be a problem with the transformer in the area.”
An SESB staff in the midst of installing the new components for a streetlight in Kg Lakut.
Meanwhile, the spokesman said SESB has restored more than 20 streetlights along the road to Kg Lakut, after installing new components in these amenities earlier in January.
“We tentatively hope to have this done in Kg Suok-Dambai some time in the next few months,” he said.
“The Security and Development chairman for the village informed us that several lights on the access road here were not coming on at night.”
He said the firm’s personnel had confirmed which of these facilities had broken down and were in the process of sourcing for the necessary spare parts.
LINUS of Papar said the streetlights, from the Jalan Mogon Biau-junction all the way to Kg Suok-Dambai, had been out of order for some time.
He said the illumination provided by the lights made it easier for drivers to make out any pedestrians or livestock crossing the road.
“When I first noticed this problem, I lodged a report at the District Council,” he said
“A while later, when I enquired about the progress of the matter, I was informed that these amenities were not maintained by the agency.”
He was advised to liaise with SESB which he did.
“The staff have so far failed to make good on their word to restore the lights as soon as possible.
“At one stage, I was informed that the Papar branch had run ‘out of stock’ of some material needed to attend to these facilities.”
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