(MENAFN- Daily Outlook Afghanistan) KABUL - In the early hours of March 26, an attack in Baghlan Province damaged two power transmission towers that supply imported electricity from Uzbekistan to Kabul and four other provinces. The attack briefly shut off over 300 MW of electricity—the bulk of the city's power needs. The Government of Afghanistan responded quickly, using USAID-funded resources and training to reduce the impact of the disruption to residents and businesses in Kabul.
The response to the attack, and the resulting power outage was twofold. First, in Kabul, technicians from Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) immediately activated its backup power resources, including the USAID-funded thermal power plant at Tarakhil. Over the next several days, the backups ran at full capacity, ensuring that hospitals and other critical energy consumers had uninterrupted power supply.
Second, in Baghlan Province, repair crews were dispatched to the damaged towers. Twelve hours after the attack and clearing operations by the Afghan military, the crews restored 170 MW of imported power in Kabul. A combination of DABS' back-up power resources, including the USAID-funded backup in Tarakhil, restored close to normal capacity electricity supply to Kabul.
While power was being restored, USAID was in regular contact with DABS and the Government of Afghanistan. The repair team re-erected a collapsed transmission tower and finalized repairs on both power circuits, restoring full supply on March 30. While USAID continues to support needed developments in Afghanistan's electricity generation and transmission infrastructure, DABS' ability to speedily restore power supply shows real resiliency.
'USAID is proud of the work we have done to build the professional capacity of DABS. We acknowledge the independence and expertise shown by the swift action of DABS, and we congratulate DABS, said USAID Mission Director Herbert Smith. (PR)
MENAFN0504201801750000ID1096696927
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.