Power protests erupt in Al-Diwaniyah, government pledges fix

Shafaq News/ Dozens of residents in Afak district, southern Al-Diwaniyah, blocked the main highway linking the province to Iraq's southern provinces on Wednesday, demanding improved electricity supply and access to clean drinking water.

Earlier this week protestors shut down roads in Ghams and al-Sudur al-Arba’a areas, citing worsening electricity conditions.

Power is currently supplied for only about nine hours daily, leaving residents in blackout for up to 14 hours.

Similar protests erupted in Najaf and other parts of Al-Diwaniyah last week amid soaring temperatures and growing public frustration over deteriorating services. Protesters clashed with security forces in some areas after blocking major streets and setting tires ablaze.

Meanwhile, Electricity Minister Ziyad Ali Fadel reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to delivering Al-Diwaniyah’s full electricity quota, reviewing progress on infrastructure projects aimed at easing grid congestion.

He emphasized that rapid-deployment power stations and high-capacity transformers are set to come online soon, clarifying that the national control center is not remotely cutting power to local transmission lines, urging the province to stay within its assigned quota.