Kabul Residents Frustrated by Ongoing Power Outages Amid Repair Promises

Frequent power outages in Kabul have disrupted the daily lives of residents, generating widespread dissatisfaction. Despite promises from the state-controlled power company, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, to repair the imported electricity line from Uzbekistan, citizens report that the capital remains in darkness…

Residents Express Frustration Over Blackouts

Many Kabul residents have been grappling with extensive blackouts and frequent power cuts for over a week, which they say have significantly interrupted their daily activities.

According to these residents, electricity is entirely cut during the day and is only restored for a few limited hours at night. They report that during this time, their electric appliances remain unused, halting numerous work and educational activities.

Complaints About Power Outages and Disorganized Supply

Adila, a resident of the 500 Family Area in Kabul, shared, “We have been without electricity for a week. It comes on at night but is off again by morning. Life has become very difficult, and we don’t know when this issue will be resolved.”

Another resident from Khair Khana added, “Power is only available at night for one or two hours. During the day, it’s completely cut. All our devices rely on power, but we can’t use them. These outages are truly burdensome for us.”

Similar conditions have been reported in the Karte Parwan area. One resident stated, “The electricity supply is patchy; we only have power for three to five hours in a 24-hour period. The situation has worsened compared to the past.”

Social Media Response

Dozens of social media users have expressed their criticisms on the official page of Breshna, pointing out that the capital has plunged into darkness. They questioned why the promised restoration of electricity imports from Uzbekistan, scheduled for the previous Monday, has not happened yet.

Response from Breshna

On Monday, October 20, 2023, the Breshna company announced that repairs on the imported electricity line from Uzbekistan, which was cut last week, were ongoing and would be resolved soon.

Abdul Bari Omar, the CEO of Breshna, stated on his X page on Tuesday, October 21, that technical teams are working day and night, but the progress is cautious due to high water levels in the Amu River region. He confirmed that the 220-kilowatt power line imported from Uzbekistan was damaged over the Amu River, which has led to increased blackouts in Kabul and several other provinces.

Afghanistan’s Heavy Reliance on Imported Electricity

According to Breshna, as a result of this incident, power supply, including in Kabul, has decreased across 11 provinces. Afghanistan relies heavily on electricity imports from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Tajikistan.

The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) also reported that approximately 80% of the electricity needed in the country is supplied from abroad, with Afghanistan spending nearly $220 million annually to purchase electricity from neighboring countries.