Baghdad Boils as Power Grid Collapses Amid Heatwave
As a severe heatwave pushes temperatures past 50°C, Baghdad's power grid has nearly collapsed, leaving residents with lengthy outages and fueling public anger over unfulfilled government promises.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A crippling electricity crisis has returned to Iraq’s capital, plunging large areas of Baghdad into darkness for hours at a time as a severe heatwave grips the country, fueling public anger over a near-total collapse of the power system and unfulfilled government promises.
As temperatures soar past 50 degrees Celsius, residents across the capital are enduring a drastic deterioration in electrical services. In many neighborhoods, power cuts extend for more than six hours, followed by a supply that often lasts for only half an hour, and sometimes mere minutes, before failing again.
The daily struggle is taking a heavy toll on citizens. One resident from the al-Nasr neighborhood told Kurdistan24's correspondent Seif Ali about the extreme rationing. "The cuts last for 5 or 6 hours, in exchange for a supply that doesn't exceed a quarter of an hour, and sometimes only 10 minutes before the power goes out again," he said, adding that the situation was the same in the al-Baladiyat, al-Amin, and al-Kamaliya neighborhoods.
Another citizen expressed deep frustration, noting the impact on daily life. "The electricity is very bad. It comes on for only half an hour and then is cut for more than 4 hours," he said. "We wish it would go back to how it was under the old system: two hours of supply for two hours of cuts. Now we can't sleep because of the intense heat; we stay awake until morning, and we have work waiting for us."
As public frustration reaches a boiling point, the Ministry of Electricity, in a familiar pattern each summer, is focusing on long-term solutions that fail to address the immediate crisis.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Ahmed al-Abadi, told Kurdistan24 that the government is shifting its focus to sustainable energy. "There is a growing reliance on solar and renewable energy sources, with support from the government and the Ministry of Electricity, and contracts have been signed with international companies," al-Abadi stated. He also mentioned plans to convert government buildings to solar power and encourage banks to offer soft loans for citizens to purchase their own solar energy systems.
However, these plans offer little comfort to a population that has seen hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the electricity sector since 2003 with no commensurate improvement in services. In a nation with one of the world's largest oil reserves, the inability to provide stable power remains a stark symbol of mismanagement.
As the heatwaves continue, Iraqis are left to endure their bitter struggle with a failing grid, while promises of meaningful reform remain postponed until further notice.
Kurdistan24's correspondent Seif Ali from Baghdad contributed to this report.
