The Jalalabad Municipality says a project aimed at lighting streets and public areas across all districts of the city at night has been launched and will be completed by the end of next year.
According to municipal officials, a budget of 23 million afghanis has been allocated for the implementation of the project, which will be funded from the municipality’s revenues.
Wahidullah Mukhlis, Director of Technical and Sectoral Affairs at the Jalalabad Municipality, said: “All work on this project will be completed by the end of next year. The total cost of the project is estimated at 23 million afghanis, all of which will be covered by Jalalabad Municipality’s internal revenues. The project will be implemented starting from the first district and will gradually extend to other districts as well.”
Residents of Jalalabad have welcomed the implementation of the project, but considering the current electricity situation and unprecedented power outages, they say the project can only be successful if the electricity shortage is addressed beforehand.
Atiqullah, a resident of Jalalabad, said: “This is good news for all residents of Jalalabad. God willing, this project will be expanded to other parts of the city so that facilities are created for all citizens.”
Another resident, Rahmatullah, said: “For this project, either generators should be operated 24 hours a day or electricity from the Darunta Dam should be supplied around the clock. If there is electricity at the provincial administration and police headquarters, there should be electricity here as well. It does not make sense for poles to be installed without electricity. This project needs services and monitoring, and the lights must be maintained at all times.”
Meanwhile, Jalalabad Municipality officials say they have also addressed the electricity issue for the project, and several institutions, including the central government, have pledged cooperation to resolve the power shortage.
Wahidullah Mukhlis added: “Electricity from the Arghandi substation is on the way, which will resolve many of our city’s problems. In addition, discussions have been held with neighboring countries in the north, and there is a possibility that a dedicated electricity line may also be supplied from Kabul. Along with this, several organizations are involved in the project, including UN-Habitat and UNICEF. UN-Habitat has provided solar power in some districts, and in districts where it is not yet available, we plan to provide it next year.”
The issue of electricity availability to ensure the success of the Jalalabad lighting project comes at a time when residents are complaining about frequent power outages, saying they currently do not even receive eight hours of regular electricity per day.
