New Orleans 'powerless'

2005-11-17 15:08

New Orleans - Nearly three months after Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, city officials redoubled their efforts on Wednesday to get the jazz capital up and running.

Bawdy Bourbon Street is pulsing again with strippers, neon lights and live local music. But large residential neighbourhoods not found in French Quarter tour guides still lack power, street lights, traffic signals and public transport.

Since Katrina hit on August 29, the city's population has plunged from 462 000 to an estimated 100 000, leaving some areas resembling ghost towns.

In an effort to boost the repopulation effort, municipal officials and the city's chief utility supplier announced a plan on Wednesday to accelerate the restoration of power throughout the city.

Goal is to have the lights on by end of year

Entergy Inc will assign an extra 125 electrical workers and 150 gas workers to "jumpstart" ongoing efforts to restore power to most of the city before the end of the year, beginning on November 28, said city council member Cynthia Willard.

Mayor Ray Nagin, anxious to speed up the repopulation of the city, said the latest efforts will restore power to most neighbourhoods with a combined pre-Katrina population of 73 000.

Nagin added that the effort will increase the city's ability to house 225 000 people.

According to a report issued by the mayor on Wednesday, only 64% of the city had electricity as of November 11, while in some neighbourhoods only eight to 12% of homes had been reconnected to gas service.

- SAPA