[ 2015-02-20 ]

Dumsor has adverse psychological effects – Psychologist
Psychologist Dr Annie Gaisie says the erratic
power situation can have a negative psychological
effect on people.

“It causes a lot of anxiety, it can create
depression, lots of stress and it can cause lots
of behaviour problems in children,” Dr Gaisie
explained on her Wellness programme on Starr
103.5FM Thursday.

She said the deprivation of power at homes could
suppress people’s happy hormones and
consequently plunge them into unsavoury
psychological states, since tonnes of research
have shown that “darkness doesn’t do too much
for us.”

Ghana’s worsening power crisis has resulted in a
load shedding exercise by state energy distributor
Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

There is a production shortfall which has come
about due to lack of gas from the West Africa Gas
Pipeline in Nigeria to power some thermal plants
across Ghana to supplant production.


Also the country’s three hydro-electric power
stations: Akosombo, Bui and Kpong are not running
at their full capacity due to low hydrology. The
Akosombo Dam which supplies close to 40 percent of
Ghana’s power needs is running just four of its
six engines. State power producer Volta River
Authority (VRA) has given indications that a third
engine might be turned off if the situation
persists.

Also, the 400-Megawatt Bui Dam has largely been
off the production chain. It is only used in
emergency situations. President John Mahama and
his Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor have said the
country is importing two power barges from Turkey
at a cost of $250 million to shore up production
in the interim by about 450 Megawatts. The barges
are expected in the country by April.

The main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP)
recently went on a demonstration in the national
capital to raise concerns about the frustrations
Ghanaians are being put through as a result of the
power crisis.

Source - Starrfmonline

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