We cannot function in our daily lives without electricity. Our houses, businesses, and schools are run by it. Life may be quite challenging without it.
Obtaining electricity is a major issue in many parts of Myanmar, particularly in small communities like ours in the Ayeyawady Region.
For two or three hours during the day and roughly four hours at night, the majority of us have access to electricity. This is insufficient for us to live well or carry out our jobs effectively.
All residents of our community, including high-ranking government officials, share a meager supply of electricity. There is, however, one exception: a wealthy businessman’s ice factory.
The Ice Factory: An Unique Situation
In our town, the ice plant receives more electrical hours than any other business. In our region, this factory is the only one of its sort.
It serves its owner’s financial interests alone and does not assist the town’s residents. It makes ice and sells it for a profit.
Instead of using the town’s electricity supply, the plant owner has installed his own transformer and draws electricity straight from the “Maha” power system.
This implies that while the rest of us suffer relatively little, he spends more money to obtain more electricity for his business.
The Effect on Our Daily Lives
Our lives are impacted in every way by the inadequate electricity. We are unable to utilize electric lights, fans, or refrigerators at home when we need to.
This complicates cooking, studying, and even unwinding after a demanding day. Pupils’ inability to adequately study and complete their assignments has an impact on their education.
Because they are unable to run their machinery or maintain the freshness of their items, shops and small enterprises struggle.
By comparison, the ice plant operates efficiently due to its plentiful supply of electricity. It earns a lot of money for its owner by producing ice for virtually the entire day.
Because of this, there is a significant divide in our town between the business community and the general public.
The proprietor of the ice mill gains from increased electrical supply, while the rest of us must make due with what little is provided.
Similar to other small towns, the availability of energy is frequently erratic and insufficient to suit everyone’s demands. Let’s say, for example, that everyone starts getting electricity at 11 a.m. every day.
On the other hand, the town’s ice factory receives its electrical supply earlier—roughly 10 am, or even earlier—at 9:30 am.
There are serious questions of equality and justice in the community raised by this disparity in the timing of the delivery of power.
The ice factory’s activities are unaffected by an abrupt power interruption that occurs when the general energy supply is operational.
This suggests that there is a constant, uninterrupted power source available to the ice plant, enabling it to run smoothly.
The ice mill’s continuous electrical supply, in spite of the town’s wider power outage, suggests that it has unique and preferential access to power.
Regardless of whether he owns a specific transformer or any other infrastructure that guarantees this continuous supply, the proprietor of the ice business is essentially just a regular town resident.
As a result, when it comes to having access to power, he need to be treated equally with the other residents of the community and given the same opportunities.
It is crucial to understand that the provision of necessities like electricity should be governed by the concepts of justice and equity.
It is clear that the ice mill has a specific advantage during an electrical crisis when there is a shortage and a strong demand.
The ice plant keeps running efficiently while the rest of the town’s population struggle with power outages, unexpected disruptions, and arranging their everyday lives without a steady source of electricity.
The town’s residents feel unfairly treated because of their privileged position, which also draws attention to the disparate distribution of resources in the neighborhood.
No person or company should be given preference over others in a just and equitable society, particularly when it comes to the supply of necessities like electricity.
The town’s officials must address this disparity and guarantee that everyone citizen, including the owner of the ice plant, gets an equal portion of the available electrical supply.
They would be respecting the values of justice and preventing a single organization from monopolizing an essential resource to the disadvantage of the larger community by doing this.
By guaranteeing that everyone shares fairly in the costs and rewards of the town’s resources, this strategy would help the locals feel more united and supportive of one another.
Is It Fair?
A significant dilemma is brought up by this circumstance: Is it justifiable for one individual to have more electricity simply because they are wealthy?
Everyone in our town ought to have equal access to power. The ice manufacturer receiving preferential treatment while the rest of us suffer is unfair.
Since electricity is a basic necessity, it ought to be shared equally by all residents of the municipality.
The Function of Power and Money
Who has access to power and who doesn’t depends mostly on money. The proprietor of the ice plant has enough money to install his own transformer and purchase additional electricity.
This is not something that the average person in our town can accomplish. We rely on the meager quantity of electricity provided by the town.
This demonstrates how power and wealth can breed inequity in our culture. Better services can be purchased by those with more money, but those with less must make do with less.
The Requirement for Modification
We must deal with this disparity. To guarantee that everyone receives a fair share of electricity, the government and the electrical department should take action.
To ensure that no one is given preferential treatment, the distribution of power should be regulated. More electricity could be made available to everyone by enhancing infrastructure and allocating additional resources for power supply.
Collective Initiative
We must unite as a community to demand equitable treatment. We can bring up our complaints and request improved electricity distribution with the local authorities.
Together, we can advocate for improvements that will benefit everyone and make our voices heard.
An obvious illustration of how money can be used to purchase superior services, leading to inequality, is the tale of the ice factory in our town.
One individual receiving more electricity while the rest of us suffer is unfair. In order to ensure that everyone has access to fair electricity distribution, we must address this problem.
Together, as a community, we can demand change and build a society that is more just and equal.
Potential Remedies
Several actions can be made to guarantee equitable distribution of electricity: Infrastructure Improvement: Our town’s electrical infrastructure has to be improved, and this is a responsibility for the relevant authorities.
This entails modernizing the electricity cables and installing additional transformers. Everyone will have access to a more dependable and steady supply of electricity thanks to improved infrastructure.
Controlling Private Transformers: The usage of private transformers ought to be controlled. Strict regulations are necessary to prevent the granting of additional electricity to private companies at the expense of the general public. This will assist in averting circumstances similar to the ice factory incident.
Encouraging Renewable Energy: You may help produce more electricity by making investments in renewable energy sources like solar or wind power.
These renewable energy sources can be added to the current power grid to increase its capacity. Encouragement of renewable energy consumption by homes and businesses can lighten the load on the primary power grid.
Community Programs: Local governments can organize initiatives to control the town’s electricity usage uniformly and to teach the populace energy saving.
The available electricity can be used more efficiently by taking easy steps like switching to energy-efficient appliances and cutting back on wasteful electricity use.
Advocacy and Awareness: It’s critical to increase public knowledge of the problem of electricity inequality. To draw attention to the issue, the community can host gatherings, publish articles, and utilize social media. We can force the government to act by drawing attention to the problem.
The Direction of Travel
To tackle the problem of electricity distribution, the community, local government, and the government must work together.
We can make sure that everyone in our town receives an equitable share of electricity by banding together. As a result, society will become more equal and our quality of life will increase.
In short,
the ice factory tale illustrates how inequality is caused by the ability of wealth to purchase superior services. One individual receiving more electricity while the rest of us suffer is unfair.
In order to ensure that everyone has access to fair electricity distribution, we must address this problem.
Together, as a community, we can demand change and build a society that is more just and equal. Put another way, we want every townie to have equitable access to the electricity supply.
