Iran cuts short electricity supply to Afghanistan: Ghalib

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) on Thursday said Iran has cut short electricity supply to Afghanistan due to the rise in temperature and reducing water level in the neighboring country’s dams.

Amanullah Ghalib, DABS general head, told a press conference in western Herat province that Iran currently provided 20 to 30 megawatts of electricity against 110 megawatts in contract with Afghanistan.

He said Iran had not only reduced exporting electricity to Afghanistan, but also to Iraq and Pakistan.

Ghalib said a DABS delegation would travel to Iran next Saturday and convince the Iranians to at least provide 50 megawatts electricity to Afghanistan.

“This issue has been discussed through diplomatic channels, we have also talked on telephone with the other side and Iran has promised to exempt Afghanistan from power cut,” he added.

He said Salma Dam turbines were currently off and they were trying to turn them on that would generate 14 megawatts of electricity.

The Salma Dam electricity and 70 megawatts imported power from Turkmenistan would together help meet Herat province’s electricity shortage, Ghalib said.

However, Herat governor’s spokesman, Jilani Farhad, said the turbines of Salma Dam would not be turned on until fall season as per the local administration’s decision and low level of water in the dam.

A number of Herat residents expressed concern over the shortage of electricity in their province and said many people were affected after the imported electricity from Iran was reduced.

Sadat, a shopkeeper in Herat City, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “The weather is very hot, my kids fell ill due to high temperature, we have no access to electricity and no one cares about us.”

Niamatullah, another resident, said: “We also have no water when there is no electricity. We are faced with many problems in this warm season.”

According to Herat DABS officials, 60 percent of Herat electricity is imported from Iran and 40 percent from Turkmenistan.

mds/ma