KHABAROVSK, January 12 (Itar-Tass) — Schools and kindergartens have been closed in the settlement of Okhotsk in the Khabarovsk region as heat supply to the settlement failed.
A new boiler room put into service last November and which was hoped to ensure normal heat supply to the settlement gave way under very low air temperatures. Schools, kindergartens, many residential blocks stay cold as the temperature inside remains under 10 and even 5 degrees Celsius above zero even when electric heating appliances are on.
Energy experts had miscalculated the capacity of the module boiler room, the regional authorities explained. On Wednesday one of the old nine boiler rooms, which earlier had ensured heat supply to Okhotsk but were later conserved, was activated. Next, the other old reserve boiler rooms will be put into service which will enable to lift part of the load from the new central boiler room. The situation is expected to return to the norm by the end of the week, the district administration said.
Heat supply to the settlement was first hindered in December and dropped to a critical point in January when air temperatures dropped to 30 degrees below zero point.
The local population has refused to pay heat supply bills. The administration of the regional housing and public utilities sector assured that it would make discounts to compensate for the losses.
Meanwhile, additional equipment is being delivered to the settlement to increase the capacity of the main boiler room.