Bamyan and Serious Need for Power

Bamyan is one of the few provinces that has the lowest sources of electricity production and therefore is extremely backward.

Deprivation of Bamyan from access to energy resources has a long story that is obvious to everyone, because despite widespread protests and extensive and all-round efforts of people and civil activists, the governments in past twenty years have deliberately and consciously deprived this province of reaching the infrastructure elements in development. In particular, they were deprived of electricity, and with obvious acts of discrimination and prejudice, they prevented the implementation of electricity supply projects in this province.

The biggest example is the extension of the power line of the 500 KV project of Turkmenistan known as TUTAP, whose intentional and discriminatory deviation by the cabinet of government of Ghani led to the emergence and formation of the global Enlightenment movement, and finally, with the dictatorial and authoritarian behavior of this government, with violence and suicide was suppressed and hundreds of educated young people and promising elites of this land were killed and injured.

Undoubtedly, the development of any society and geography is directly dependent on the construction of infrastructure. Electric energy is one of the most fundamental and essential elements that is considered the vital key to start development.

Bamyan has a very high capacity and potential in the field of development, which, if achieved, can become an economic hub in the country. With electricity and energy, dairy processing factories, production and processing centers of agricultural products, handicraft institutions, food products, coal and iron mining mines and other sectors can be easily set up and generate income in a short period of time and have mass production.

This is while Bamyan province does not even have enough electricity to light up houses, let alone that factories and industrial factories have been established and are productive. The biggest project that has been implemented in this area is solar power with a maximum production of one megawatt in center of Bamyan province, which is being weakened due to the distribution of more than the original capacity, and apparently nothing has been done to repair and strengthen the existing network.

By intentionally diverting the 500 kV line of Turkmenistan from Bamyan-Maidan Wardak route and suppressing public protests, the corrupt government of Ghani, with the plan of the 220 kV electricity project, which was referred to as an “alternative plan” for TUTAP, intended to divert the public’s mind and gain people’s satisfaction. From the very beginning, it clearly indicated the existence of an “alternative plan” rather than a “deceit plan”. Although this project was accompanied by a large and widespread publicity and the contract was signed in the presidential palace, but it never progressed as it was supposed to and was deliberately delayed. The estimated time for the completion of the project indicated that this project should be put into operation in 2018, but a lot of time passed and even several years after the start of the project, no noticeable progress was seen, until the inefficient and discriminatory government of Ghani fell and fled Ghani, development projects including this project were stopped.

Coinciding with the 8th anniversary of the Dehmezang massacre, which is in fact an unforgettable manifestation of the national protests about the deliberate deprivation of millions of people from energy and development, the plan to resume and restart the electricity project by the local government of Bamyan It is a good thing and a worthy action that should be fully supported by the people of Bamyan so that practical steps can be taken in this regard.

The writer does not remember that during the twenty years of the republic’s rule, none of the governors ruling Bamyan seriously and decisively pursued the issue of electricity supply in Bamyan. Even if there were ineffective follow-ups, they were never taken seriously by the central government due to the existence of discrimination. It should be mentioned that Ashraf Ghani’s governors even stood up to the legitimate demands of the people and suppressed popular protests.

Therefore, the time has come for Bamyan’s electricity issue to be raised as a vital and decisive issue once again at the community level. While the local government of Bamyan has decided to pursue the restart of this project through the Ministry of Water and Energy and the central government, the people of Bamyan at all levels should work together with the local government and by launching a nationwide campaign, support this good and desirable action through mass media, virtual space, official government channels and other available channels.