Hot Summer and Widespread Power Outages; Kabul Residents Dissatisfied with Power Shortage

Kabul Times News | Report by Tabassum Aslamyar

Along with rising temperatures and growing electricity consumption, a number of Kabul residents have expressed dissatisfaction with frequent power outages, saying that the continuous power outages have posed serious problems to daily life, economic activities, and service provision.

According to citizens, prolonged power outages on hot summer days have disrupted business activities, the use of cooling devices, and daily tasks, and have caused significant economic losses to families and business owners.

Kabul residents have called on the caretaker government of T/Alban to invest in developing domestic power generation infrastructure, utilizing energy resources, and implementing infrastructure projects to sustainably resolve the problem of power shortages.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Electricity Company (Barshna), which operates under the administration of the Prime Minister, has cited increased electricity consumption during the summer season and a decrease in imported electricity as the main reasons for the recent outages. The company said that efforts are ongoing to manage the network and distribute electricity fairly among subscribers.

However, a number of experts and citizens believe that the continued outages indicate a serious need for investment in domestic power generation and the development of energy infrastructure, a measure that could reduce Afghanistan’s dependence on imported electricity and strengthen the country’s energy security in the long term.