Electricity issues in Al-Adhamiyah
Baghdad residents frustrated by power outages reinstall private generators
BAGHDAD — Residents in Baghdad’s Al-Adhamiyah district are expressing frustration over a resurgence of power outages, despite previous assurances of uninterrupted electricity. This has led to the return of private generators on the streets, which had been removed by local authorities.
Years ago, Al-Adhamiyah was included in a plan to exempt areas of religious significance from power cuts due to the presence of the Imam Abu Hanifa Al-Nu’man shrine. However, residents say the implementation of this plan has been inconsistent.
Abu Hanifa (699-767) was the eponymous founder of the Hanafi school (madhhab) of Islamic law. He died and was buried in Baghdad, although sources differ on the exact date of his death. A shrine was built in 1066 over the site of his tomb in what is now known as Al-Adhamiyah district, named after Abu Hanifa’s epithet Al-Imam Al-Azam, or the “Great Imam.”
Facing recurring power cuts with no apparent solution, residents are demanding the return of private generators previously confiscated by the authorities. Some generator owners have reinstalled their units on the streets to provide alternative power for several neighborhoods.
“A few years ago, the decision to prevent power cuts here was enacted,” said Khaled Salah Nouri, a local resident. “The Baghdad municipality removed and banned private generators based on that promise.”
However, the Ministry of Electricity has thus far been unable to deliver on its commitment of uninterrupted power supply. This inconsistency, coupled with ongoing national outages, has caused confusion and frustration among residents.
“It was very difficult, especially after the Ministry of Electricity took away the generators,” said Mohammed Omar, a private generator owner who has reinstalled his unit. “But now, the generators are back in the area.”
Omar added that generator owners adhere to pricing set by Baghdad’s provincial council and expressed hope for improved electricity conditions in the district.