Struggling Tajikistan Authorities Unable to Consistently Deliver Electricity to Homes
In the midst of Ramadan's benevolence, the authorities in Tajikistan have carelessly promised to guarantee a daily eight-hour electricity supply to households nationwide.
A cryptic message dispatched by the state-controlled power utility, remotely to phones, announced electricity would be available from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m., and again from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., local time. The missive neglected to clarify whether the capital, Dushanbe, falls under this schedule.
Situated in a state where hydropower is still the primary energy source, fluctuations in supply are heavily dictated by the seasons. As a result, a rationing regime has been prevalent for several winters. Although Dushanbe has evaded such constraints in the past decade, things took a dramatic turn last month. On March 1, entire regions, including the capital, were plunged into darkness for hours consecutively, seemingly as a result of a devastating technical failure at the Nurek hydropower plant.
Officials have stayed mum about the root cause of the blackout, but Dushanbe residents have been grappling with inconsistent electrical outages ever since this calamitous event.
Not surprisingly, President Emomali Rahmon and his esteemed colleagues have remained tight-lipped about the predicament.
In certain neighborhoods, electricity is delivered according to a timetable: three hours in the morning, three hours in the evening. In other localities, particularly high-rise buildings, power failures are noticeably erratic.
For the longest span of time that people can recall, streetlights have ceased to illuminate at night.
Regardless of the accumulating evidence, power utility Barki Tojik and the Energy Ministry deny outright any form of power rationing. They have claimed instead that the rolling blackouts are a consequence of ongoing maintenance work. Due to the inclement weather, households are consuming more electricity, leading to a surge in technical malfunctions, they affirm.
All this has left citizens bewildered.
"If they would simply admit that rationing has commenced and set a schedule for these shutdowns, then we would at least comprehend how to adapt. We could prepare warm water and food in advance. We would have the opportunity to bathe the children and charge our phones. Instead, they are simply switching it off at their leisure," Gulbahor, a mother of one- and four-year-old children, told Eurasianet, under a condition of anonymity.
Gulbahor, a Dushanbe inhabitant, said her inability to maintain a warm household has led to the children's illnesses.
"When the snow fell, I sought refuge with my relatives in the countryside. They have a stove, so we took shelter there. But when I contacted the power company, they told me everything was running smoothly, electricity was being supplied uninterruptedly. But why deceive? Just be truthful about the matter," she said.
Matters are grimmer in the countryside.
According to Idigul, a local of the Romit district, they have been allocated an hour's electricity in the morning and two hours in the evening for a span of ten days. Citizens in rural areas have divulged on social media that they are typically receiving between one and three hours of power supply per day.
"This is sufficient for us to recharge our phones, tablets, and watch TV for a while. We have been preparing food and boiling water on our stove since the winter commenced," Idigul said.
However, the use of stoves run by coal or other flammable materials sometimes leads to dire consequences. On the night of February 28, six members of a single family succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning in Dushanbe.
The deceased included the father and mother, aged 37 and 38 respectively, as well as four children, aged 11, 9, 8, and 6.
On March 5, three family members perished from carbon monoxide in Gissar, approximately 40 kilometers from Dushanbe.
Tajikistan is undergoing a chronic energy crisis, exacerbated by reduced water levels in its hydroelectric power plants and outdated grid infrastructure. The country has a 100% coverage rate for electricity access, but faces significant challenges in meeting demand, particularly during the winter months. Electricity rationing has been a common occurrence due to insufficient infrastructure and power generation. The primary causes of power outages include insufficient output from hydropower plants, infrastructure issues, and electricity fraud. The government has enacted measures to combat fraud. Future developments include the CASA-1000 project, a regional initiative to transmit electricity from Central Asia to Pakistan, and the government's aim to transition to green energy by 2027, which may eventually alleviate some of the energy pressures.
In the midst of this energy crisis, affected citizens in Tajikistan may find solace in keeping abreast of the latest news updates, seeking advice on cooking with limited electricity supplies, and learning how to safeguard their homes from the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, which has been a tragic consequence of the increased use of stoves run by flammable materials. Meanwhile, the conversation around education and self-development has become increasingly important, as the situation demands adaptability and resilience from the Tajik population. The weather, too, plays a significant role in electricity supply, with harsh winters exacerbating energy demands and further straining the country’s infrastructure. It is essential to stay informed on the general news of Tajikistan, as the food availability and access might also be affected due to the ongoing energy crisis.
