Residents of Phase 1 and Phase 2 districts of Kapisa province claim that 220 small hydroelectric dams in these districts have been shut down for more than a month, plunging the areas into darkness. According to them, the small hydropower plants were halted on the orders of the Taliban governor and district chiefs. They allege that some of the dams have been destroyed, despite several million Afghanis having been spent on their construction. In addition, residents complain of a rise in theft, saying that people’s lives and property are no longer safe.
Sources, who asked for anonymity in the report for security reasons, said that turbines in Phase 1 and Phase 2 have been shut off, leaving families in complete darkness every night for the past month.
Sources in Phase 1 of Kapisa say that in a situation where people are already struggling with growing poverty and unemployment, the lack of electricity has become one of their most serious challenges. They added: “About a month ago, the Taliban in Phase 1 of Kapisa shut down 220 village hydropower plants and dismantled the village dynamos as well. Now, people spend their nights in total darkness, without any access to electricity.”
One source, who requested anonymity, said: “We have no electricity; 220 hydropower plants have been shut down. These power plants were previously built by development organizations at costs ranging from two to six million Afghanis.” The source alleged that the power cut in Phase 1 and Phase 2—districts with predominantly Tajik populations—was deliberate.
The source continued: “Phase 1 of Kapisa begins from Gulbahar and extends to Phase 2. All the families living in the villages and hamlets of these two districts are Persian-speaking (Tajik communities). These power plants were built during the Republic. Now, Pashtun-inhabited areas are complaining about water shortages.” According to him, the Taliban governor ordered the shutdown of these dams, and people dare not speak out against it out of fear.
He added, “People are not willing to see these dams destroyed, as they consider them the wealth of their villages. But when an order comes from the governor and the district administration, the dams are forcibly demolished.”
Another source pointed out that, alongside unemployment and power outages, the rise in theft has worsened poverty in the area. He noted that although complaints have been made repeatedly, the Taliban have taken no action to reduce or resolve the problem.
The source added: “Thefts have also increased in Phase 1 and Phase 2. These days, as work has declined and many people have lost their jobs, we have no other source of income. Our only livelihood is a few cows and sheep. But unfortunately, even this small asset is not safe.”
A resident of Kapisa said, “At night, thieves ruthlessly tear down our walls, enter our courtyards, and steal our cows and sheep. In such a situation, people have neither personal security nor financial security; whatever they had managed to save through hard work is lost in a single night.”
The residents of Phase 1 of Kapisa complain of power cuts and theft at a time when, despite the Taliban’s claims of ensuring security, reports of mysterious killings and armed robberies are recorded daily across the country. Furthermore, Taliban police commands announce arrests of thieves every day—an indication of the rise in crime nationwide. Previously, break-ins by thieves had also been reported in Kabul, Takhar, and Herat.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
قطع برق و افزایش دزدی؛ باشندهگان حصه اول کاپیسا نگران جان و مالشان هستند
