Taliban suspend electricity projects since takeover

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in mid-August, many electricity supply projects have been halted for the past four months.

Officials at Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) said that the main reason for halting these projects is the suspension of funds from the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the United States development aid to Afghanistan, reported Tolo News.

Turkmenistan's 500 KV electricity transmission to Afghanistan is one of these projects, which was transferring electricity from the border of Turkmenistan to Sheberghan's Aqina port and then to the Alvazun plain of Kunduz and finally to the Arghandi district of Kabul. Only 10 per cent of the work needs to be finished.

"90 per cent of the 500 KV line project is completed and only 10 per cent of its work remains. If the ADB allows it, we can complete the remaining 10 per cent of its work in the next six months," said Safiullah Ahmadzai, Executive Chief of DABS.

DABS officials added that a complete solution to the shortage of electricity in Kabul will require the construction of two more electricity substations at a cost of USD 40 million, reported Tolo News.

Meanwhile, a number of Kabul residents complained about the lack of electricity and said that the shortage of electricity has increased this winter.

"There is no electricity when it comes, it does not benefit us, it comes at 8 or 9 at night," said Borhan, a resident of Kabul.

"When there is a need for electricity during the night, for lighting and warming the rooms, it does not come. People are facing a lot of problems," said Nooraqa, a resident of Kabul.

According to some institutions in the country, work on nearly a dozen other major projects, including the Central Asia-South Asia electricity transmission project (CASA1000), Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline (TAPI) and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) Power Interconnection Project (TAP) projects, have been halted in the past four months due to the suspension of funding for these projects by countries and international organizations, reported Tolo News.