Almost two months after the storm, there are still people without electricity or communications. In the Leiria district, residents complain about the lack of responses from operators and authorities.
Without electricity since January 28th, Maria Rodrigues has been unable to get water from the borehole that supplies her home. The only alternative to watering the garden and caring for the animals is to bring buckets of water from a neighboring house.
“I saw it and was surprised to receive a letter from electricity without using it and without having electricity in my own house. I let all the meat I had in my chest spoil. I don’t have a refrigerator, I don’t have a trunk, I don’t have a television, I have nothing”, said Maria Rodrigues.
The invoice arrived with the same amount, but the owner refuses to pay for a service she did not enjoy.
“I’ve already gone to complain several times. I called the faults on Thursday and explained my case. They told me that it would be resolved in four hours. Today is Saturday and I’m the same,” he added.
Maria Luísa Vieira also remains without answers. Since the night of the storm There is no fixed network, internet or television.
“I’m a widow and I miss it. It’s company, television. Two months is too much. Some have it, others don’t have it. We end up not knowing the time, the day or the hour”, she said.
The situation repeats itself at Helena Portela’s house, who was forced to buy a battery-powered radio and a portable antenna to entertain herselfbut the operator’s invoice continues to arrive with the same values.
“Debits have already come out of the bank, I’ve gone to complain several times and, recently, I spent an hour and a half on the phone with the operator, without them giving me any response,” he said.
For those who work from home, the lack of essential services further exacerbates the difficulties.
“A person who lives in the 21st century, like me, faces enormous difficulties without the Internet and television. I work with computers and I need them for my daily life. It becomes complicated to manage how and where I go to work”, explained Bruna Norte.
According to ANACOM, more than 30 thousand customers continue to have problems on the fixed network. For many residents of areas affected by the storm, normality is still far from a reality.
