OSCE improves access to electricity in Rasht Valley villages in Tajikistan

Over the past five years, the OSCE has been connecting villages in the Rasht Valley to the national grid, bringing electricity to some for the first time and ensuring that others have better and more sustainable power supply.

More than 700 residents in the villages of Tagoba and Langar in eastern Tajikistan have better access to electricity thanks to the renovation of two mini-hydro power plants. Electricity supply was extended to two schools and a health care facility in these villages.

On 19 February 2018, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe officially inaugurated a transmission line and transformer in Pingon village of Rasht Valley in Tajikistan.  

The event was part of the OSCE project “Energy Security in the Rasht Valley” which since its start in 2013, has helped to improve energy access in this region.

Connecting Pingon to the national grid last year, building a transmission line and installing a transformer mean that the village now has access to electricity and is no longer isolated. Access to electricity is provided to public places such as the local school, health care facility, mill and mosque.

Prior to the implementation of this OSCE supported project, the Rasht Valley suffered from severe energy scarcity, in particular during the autumn-winter period when the supply of electricity from the national grid was limited to three hours per day.

(l-r) Zumradi Loik, Deputy Chairperson of the Rasht district, Rahimjon Nabi, First Deputy Chairperson of the Rasht district and Ambassador Tuula Yrjölä, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, during the inaugural ceremony speech, the village of Pingon, Rasht Valley, Tajikistan, 19 February 2018.

Ambassador Tuula Yrjölä, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, with residents of the village of Pingon, Rasht Valley, Tajikistan, 19 February 2018.

The renovation of the mini-hydro power plants and connection to the national grid enabled use of domestic electrical appliances such as water kettles, stoves and TV sets. The time for collecting fire wood, which is usually the duty of young children, will be reduced, or in the case of Pingon this work is no longer needed, Rasht Valley, Tajikistan, 19 February 2018.

The project improved the supply of electricity to up to 100 households, three schools and three other public or commercial facilities, Pingon village, Rasht Valley, Tajikistan, 19 February 2018.

Within the framework of the project the transformer was installed in the village of Pingon in 2017. The Pingon mini-hydro power plant was connected to the national grid through a 3.5km 10kV transmission line and increased the number of users from 77 to 99, Pingon village, Rasht Valley, Tajikistan, 19 February 2018.