Power Cut at Kajaki Dam Leaves Kandahar and Helmand in Darkness Amid Severe Water Shortage
Local sources confirm that due to a severe water shortage at the Kajaki Dam, the electricity generated by the dam has been completely cut off to the provinces of Kandahar and Helmand, with no specified timeline for restoration.
According to the sources, the power outage began today, Saturday, December 26. Currently, Kandahar city only has access to limited solar power, which is available for a few hours during the day and supplies electricity to the province’s industrial town.
Previously, the Afghanistan Electricity Supply Authority (DABS) had warned in September of this year that due to the declining water levels at the Kajaki Dam, electricity production had significantly decreased. The authority stated that as a result, electricity supply in Kandahar city was rationed, with residents receiving power only two to three hours per day.
DABS added that the limited available electricity was being supplied through diesel and solar sources; a costly and unstable solution that places additional pressure on citizens and industrial sectors.
The Kajaki Dam is one of the most important electricity sources in southern Afghanistan and, besides Kandahar, supplies power to Lashkargah city, the capital of Helmand, as well as the districts of Zimindawar, Maiwand, and Kajaki.
Afghanistan has faced severe drought over the past five years due to climate change, a situation that has drastically lowered water levels in rivers and dams. The consequences extend beyond reduced electricity production, severely impacting agriculture and livelihoods of millions of residents.
Meanwhile, the lack of transparent planning and effective management of water and energy resources by the Taliban administration has increased concerns about the continuation of the electricity crisis and its economic and social consequences in the country’s south.
