BAGHDAD, 11 May (IRIN) - The
regional government of Kurdistan in northern Iraq is negotiating
with the Iranian government to buy electricity in order to meet
increased energy demand for industrial projects, said a senior
Kurdish official.
According to Hersh Muharam, senior member of the Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan, one of two political parties controlling the eastern half
of the region, eastern Kurdistan needs about 1,000 megawatts of
electricity, while the central government currently supplies about
150 megawatts.
"This isn't enough for Kurdistan, where tens of [industrial]
projects are being built," Muharam said.
A high-level Kurdish delegation, therefore, is scheduled to soon
visit Tehran in order to finalise an agreement by which Iran would
build subsidiary power stations near its borders with Iraq to supply
about 132 megawatts of electricity to Kurdistan, said Muharam.
"This won't solve the electricity problem in the region," added
Muharam, who declined to elaborate on the project, scheduled to
begin within a year. "But it's good help."
At the end of the 1991 Gulf War, Iraq's Kurdish region was granted
autonomy following a popular uprising against the regime of former
president Saddam Hussein. But during its 15 years of self-rule,
Kurdish authorities have been unable to provide adequate electricity
to residents, many of whom have access to electricity for only part
of the day.
This has forced many Kurds to depend on small, private generators
that are often installed in the streets for public use.
"Because I've got four children who need electricity to study, we
live with the deafening noise of our own generator in addition to
the private one in the street," said 45-year-old housewife and
Sulaimaniyah resident Sazan Hadi.
"We're spending half of our income on electricity; we buy fuel for
our generator and also pay for the one in the street."
Not every resident of Kurdistan, however, can afford to pay for
their own electricity supply. Sarkot Ibrahim, a 54-year-old taxi
driver, said he has no choice but to simply wait for electricity
from the government power grid.
"Both the central and regional governments failed to respond to poor
people's needs, especially in terms of electricity," complained
Ibrahim.
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