New power line to Kandahar from Kajaki dam stretched, energized

KANDAHAR (Pajhwok):  The stretching of a 110 kilowatt new electricity line from the Kajaki dam in neighboring Helmand province to the southern city of Kandahar has been completed and the line energized.

The 180 kilometer long new line can transmit 90 megawatts of electricity while the previous one carried 35 megawatts.

The new line’s inauguration ceremony was attended by Bareshna Shirkat officials, the governor of Kandahar, civil and military officials, industrialists and businessmen.

Speaking on the occasion, Barishna Shirkat operation official Safiullah Ahmadzai said 120 engineers and workers of the contractual company finished the stringing work in 61 days.

He said the project consumed 272 million afghanis or $3.1m. He said if the contract of the project had been given to a foreign company, it would have cost $20 million.

Before the stretching of the new transmission line, it was presumed Kandahar would have 24 hours electricity, but Ahmadzai said electricity duration in the province was dependant on the availability of water in the Kajaki dam.

He said less water in the Kajaki dam meant less electricity.

He said work on the second phase of the Kajaki hydro power dam had been 80 percent completed by the Turkish company and with completion of the second phase the dam’s electricity generation capacity would increase to 151 megawatts --- enough for Helmand and Kandahar.

Kandahar governor Haji Mohammad Yousaf Wafa said they fulfilled their promise with the people about electricity and the increase in electricity would pave the way for more investments.  He urged the people to responsibly consume electricity and timely pay bills.

Traders and industrialists also spoke at the meeting, calling electricity the most basic and important need for trade and industry.

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