The Kabul times, Afghanistan Trustable News Agency.
GovernmentNational

Work on construction of Pashdan Dam in Herat resumes

The Pashdan Dam is being constructed on the Harirod River, 20
km away from Herat City, in the Karukh district.
This river emanates from the Lal-o-Sarjangal district and reaches
Turkmenistan soil by passing through the provinces of Ghoor and
Herat and the shared border of Iran and Afghanistan.

While tensions over water persist between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran are ongoing, local officials of the IEA in Herat have reported the resumption of construction work on the Pashdan Dam after a two-year hiatus. The construction work on the dam began in 1390 (2011) and was halted after returning IEA to power. Currently, the construction work of this project has been resumed. According to the IEA officials, 70% of the construction work has been completed, and the remaining 30% will be completed soon. “We ensure our beloved nation, particularly our people in Herat, that the Pashdan dam is included in the 1402 fiscal budget, and we hope there will be no change during its approval,” said Nisar Ahmad Elyas, a spokesman for the Herat governor. “The engineers have arrived at Heart and resumed the initial work,” he added. It has been estimated the project cost $117 million. The Pashdan Dam is being constructed on the Harirod River, 20 km away from Herat City, in the Karukh district. This river emanates from the Lal-o-Sarjangal district and reaches Turkmenistan soil by passing through the provinces of Ghoor and Herat and the shared border of Iran and Afghanistan. The dam has the capacity of generating 2-megawatt of power and irrigates about 13 hectares of agricultural land. The construction work on Pashdan Dam commenced while the tensions escalated over the water right between Iran and Afghanistan. Iran claims that Afghanistan is not providing its rightful share of water from the Helmand River, and the Islamic Emirate has stated that there is not enough water in the river due to consecutive droughts. It comes as the IEA initiated the construction work on canals in Bakhshabad Dam in Farah province last week. The construction of dams on Afghanistan’s rivers has concerned the neighboring countries, including Iran. Water is an essential element that plays a vital role in all aspects of human life, and it is crucial for development in agricultural and industrial sectors, according to environmental experts. Afghanistan, with its freshwater resources and numerous water basins in the region, holds a special position and importance in terms of hydropolitics. Despite being mountainous and surrounded by arid areas, Afghanistan’s mountains retain snow and ice throughout the year, forming the country’s water resources. The finding in research reveals that Afghanistan generates approximately 80 billion cubic meters of water annually. Out of this, only 20 billion cubic meters are used domestically, while the remaining 60 billion cubic meters flow into four neighboring countries, including Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Shukria Kohistani

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The Kabul times, Afghanistan Trustable News Agency.