More than 1,500 families were left without electricity yesterday in Ten-Bel, in the municipality of Arona, the umpteenth setback in an urbanization that was the jewel of tourism in Spain and the Canary Islands in the 60s and has ended up becoming a disaster, with many common areas in ruins. Hence they call it the Chernobyl of Tenerife. Endesa assures that “it has been forced to cut the supply” due to the continuous non-payments and the lack of response from those responsible for the electrical installations that serve this private area in the south of the island.
The Arona City Council had to intervene, despite not having powers, to guarantee security in Ten-Bel, regulate traffic and collaborate in the search for an urgent solution. Last night the first generator sets acquired by the different complexes that make up this urbanization began to arrive. It is expected that throughout the day the service will begin to be restored, in the face of the general indignation of those affected, tired of so many problems. This is unsustainable. We cannot continue like this ”, assured Roberto González, one of the victims.
The cause of the blackout, which kept a large part of Ten-Bel in the dark last night, lies in the fact that the company that manages the installation that supplies all the complexes accumulates months of defaults. And that despite the fact that neighbors of the other societies have paid their part of the fees. Those responsible for this company allege that the breaches of a significant number of residents have prevented them from paying the bills. Endesa clarifies that the problem not only stems from “the significant accumulated debt”, but also from the lack of response from the complex that is in charge of hosting the electrical installation and managing the service.
The problem, however, is much deeper and goes back a long way. Ten-Bel, launched in 1963 as a large tourist apartment complex, has been left in a no-man’s-land, which explains its ghostly appearance. 58 years after the opening of the first sets of bungalows, a large part of these complexes have not been received by the Arona City Council, a fact that should have happened since the works were completed. In other words, the streets and common areas have not passed to municipal management, but remain in an administrative limbo, under private tutelage. The Consistory therefore does not have any competence to maintain and improve the common areas. At the same time, Ten-Bel is no longer a purely tourist area. Many apartments were sold and resold in such a way that they have ceased to be hotels or apartment complexes to become residential areas, where illegal occupation is also proliferating. This effect has led to the head of the management of the entire urbanization, which has turned into chaos. Hence blackouts like yesterday’s or water cuts. And that’s why many areas of Ten-Bel seem like the setting for The Walking Dead series.
Some people affected, such as Roberto González himself, who is in an apartment in the El Drago complex, wonder “what has the company that runs the electrical installation done with the money that those of us who do comply with our obligations have paid.” “They did not inform us of the threats to cut the supply, or of the accumulated debts, or of anything. Result: we have run out of electricity in the middle of Christmas and without knowing what happened to the money we have put in to pay the bills.
In the midst of this chaotic situation, González assures that each complex “has had to solve the problem on its own and get a generator set.” The first groups began to arrive last night, although they had not been able to get into operation at the close of this edition. Agents of the Local police They helped the cranes to place them due to the lack of lighting throughout the area. The mayor of Aronero, José Julián Mena, and some of his councilors had to intervene to collaborate with those affected despite the fact that the City Council does not have any competence to act in a completely private urbanization. Even the municipal social services have offered their help in the case of vulnerable people who adjust to the conditions of the protolocos of action.
Meanwhile, many common areas continue to present a deplorable image. Time seems stopped, as if a catastrophe had occurred and no one was left: felled or burned trees, smashed swings, streets with raised sidewalks, garbage everywhere, stairs that show their metal skeleton, vandalism graffiti … even the tuneras are dead. Now there is a blackout due to unpaid bills and after repeated notices from the Endesa company.
