How Tajikistan Is Struggling to Keep the Lights On Amid Winter Power Shortages
As winter grips Tajikistan, severe electricity restrictions have become a daily reality. While officials claim that recent rainfall has helped partially stabilize the country’s largest hydroelectric power plant, residents across multiple regions report worsening shortages, with power barely available for a few hours each day. Government officials say that water inflow into the Nurek Reservoir has increased following recent rains. Kurbon Ahmadzoda, a representative of the state energy company Barki Tojik, reported an increase of 30-40 cubic meters per second, enabling authorities to supply electricity for four to five hours daily. Earlier, the government had attributed stricter electricity limits to a drop in water levels at the Nurek Hydroelectric Power Plant, which generates over half of Tajikistan’s electricity. A prolonged dry spell had reduced reservoir levels, triggering the latest round of supply cuts. “As of December 9, around seven meters of the reservoir’s total 53-meter reserve have already been used,” Ahmadzoda said, adding that recent rainfall had improved inflows into the Vakhsh River, which feeds the plant. Dustmurod Toirov, head of the Transmission Networks Control Center, confirmed a 15-20% increase in water inflow. As a result, daily depletion of the reservoir dropped from 23 centimeters to 17 centimeters. This, he said, allowed authorities to extend supply in some areas by an additional two to two-and-a-half hours. Toirov also claimed that residents in Khujand, Bokhtar, Kulob, and the Rudaki district were receiving consistent electricity, with high-rise buildings fully supplied. However, social media posts paint a different picture. Dozens of residents report receiving only one to three hours of electricity per day, describing increasing hardship as winter progresses. To address consumption, authorities have implemented strict rationing measures. Toirov said automated power cuts are triggered when household usage exceeds 4 kW, a move he claims has already led to more economical electricity use. In late November, the “Distribution Electric Networks” company sent mass SMS warnings to citizens: exceeding usage limits would result in 30-minute power cuts. Amid the broader energy crisis, the government has also introduced new penalties targeting illegal cryptocurrency mining, which officials say consumes large amounts of stolen electricity. Electricity rationing in Tajikistan typically begins in mid-autumn and continues through spring. However, in the past two years, restrictions have started earlier, as soon as September. The 2024-2025 winter has seen some of the harshest limits yet, with some regions receiving just two to four hours of electricity per day.
