An Iraqi government official on Wednesday (December 11th) announced that electricity has been restored to all neighbourhoods of Mosul, including its Old City.

The Ninawa province city suffered extensive damage during the battle to oust the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS), which overran swathes of northern Iraq in the summer of 2014 and used Mosul as its base of operations.

Electricity Distribution Directorate personnel "have been able to restore electric power to all neighbourhoods in both the east and west sides of the city of Mosul", said Ahmed Amjad, director of electricity distribution in Ninawa.

Power was restored across the city after the completion of repairs to the electricity supply system, which was damaged during the battle to oust ISIS, he told Diyaruna.

Repair and maintenance work began when the eastern part of Mosul, known as the left side, was recaptured three years ago, with work later moving to the western (right) side, which includes the Old City, he said.

"We started last April with the last and most complex task of restoring electric power in the Old City," Amjad said, noting that infrastructure and public buildings had been completely destroyed in this part of the city.

All energy sources have been repaired, he said, restoring to service major supply plants, including those that serve Bab al-Toub and Bab al-Bayd.

"Hundreds of kilometres of new electric cables, wires and distribution lines have been laid to replace the damaged ones, in addition to lighting poles that were installed or restored to service in most old neighbourhoods," he said.

Restoration of electric power

Power supply to the city of Mosul is "now on the same level" as any city in the country, Amjad said, noting that "there are currently no problems in terms of providing electricity to the population".

The Ninawa Electricity Distribution Directorate, in co-operation with the UN and the Iraqi Fund for the Reconstruction of Areas affected by Terrorist Operations, is working on various rehabilitation projects and plans, he said.

"We have 10 power plants that feed various parts of Ninawa with electricity and have been largely destroyed by the terrorists, and we are now rebuilding them with the support of the UN Development Programme," he said.

Three main stations are being rehabilitated with funding from the national reconstruction fund, he said.

The directorate also has been working closely with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on the Iraq Community Resilience Initiative (Taafi), Amjad added.

"The initiative has provided us with much equipment, including 25 electrical high voltage line stringing tools that were used to restore power to the Old City", he said.

"We are making an exceptional effort to complete reconstruction at utmost speed in order to provide the population with all basic services and to enhance stability in our province," Amjad said.