Private generators in the suburbs of Beirut. (Credit: Nathalie Naccache)
In Achrafieh, as in other neighborhoods of Beirut, people dread the monthly visit of the private generator bill collector.Installed since the Civil War, these neighborhood generators were supposed to compensate for the sporadic cuts in power provided by Electricité du Liban (EDL).But over the years, and with the decline of public power production, electricity began to be rationed to a few hours a day until it was almost nonexistent following the economic crisis and bankruptcy of the state in 2019-20.“The generator owner is a thug. Everyone knows it, but there is nothing we can do. He makes his [own] law in full view of everyone,” Yasmine, a resident of Saydeh Street in Achrafieh, told L’Orient-Le Jour.In the area, there's only one power supplier with a full monopoly.“The neighborhood is no longer attractive because the subscription to...
In Achrafieh, as in other neighborhoods of Beirut, people dread the monthly visit of the private generator bill collector.Installed since the Civil War, these neighborhood generators were supposed to compensate for the sporadic cuts in power provided by Electricité du Liban (EDL).But over the years, and with the decline of public power production, electricity began to be rationed to a few hours a day until it was almost nonexistent following the economic crisis and bankruptcy of the state in 2019-20.“The generator owner is a thug. Everyone knows it, but there is nothing we can do. He makes his [own] law in full view of everyone,” Yasmine, a resident of Saydeh Street in Achrafieh, told L’Orient-Le Jour.In the area, there's only one power supplier with a full monopoly.“The neighborhood is no longer attractive because the...