KABUL (SW) – Residents from various neighborhoods in Kabul city are expressing their frustration over a rise in power outages in recent days, with many reporting that they spend most nights without electricity.
Fatima, a resident of Dasht-e-Barchi, said that the recent drop in temperatures has coincided with increased power cuts. “All electrical appliances require power. If we have electricity one night, it’s gone the next, and there’s no power during the day. We urge authorities to resolve the electricity issue,” she added.
Another Dasht-e-Barchi resident, Nooriya, echoed these concerns: “We often go hours without electricity during the day and frequently at night. We even eat our meals in the dark; this problem intensifies in winter.”
Tuba, a resident of Shah Shahid area, also complained about the frequent outages, saying that the situation complicates their daily activities. “In winter and autumn, outages increase significantly; we spend hours without power, leaving us in darkness at night.”
Meanwhile, Mutiullah Abed, spokesperson for the de-facto Ministry of Energy and Water, reassured the public that the ministry has made significant investments in local resources over the past three years to enhance energy production.
“We have initiated major programs for energy production, particularly with large dams, including the Shah wa Arus Dam, which has a capacity of 1.2 megawatts, and the Omari dam in Zabul, which produces 7 megawatts. The Kamal Khan dam is expected to generate up to 9 megawatts of electricity,” he explained.
Afghanistan remains heavily dependent on imports for its electricity supply, with over 70% of the power distributed through the national grid sourced from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran.
