Good news

There’s a sudden flurry of economic activities.

The past few weeks have seen a deal with Iran and India on the development of the Chabahar port, the inauguration of the Salma dam in Herat, built by the Indian government,

There’s a sudden flurry of economic activities.

The past few weeks have seen a deal with Iran and India on the development of the Chabahar port, the inauguration of the Salma dam in Herat, built by the Indian government, progress on the natural gas pipeline project TAPI and the long-stalled Kajaki dam.

There are other dam projects in the pipeline and a rail project, a partnership with China, Iran and Pakistan, and progress on Rah e Abrishum, the fabled silk route.

Abdul Basir Azimi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Water and Energy, said nearly 30 more dam projects were being planned to generate electricity. “We have started procurement for the dams from the start of the year. Funding efforts, led by the Ministry of Finance, are underway,” he added.

The ministry is tapping the international community for funds. “Foreign countries gave hundreds of thousands of dollars for the war effort. They must give money for the construction of dams or leave the country,” said Farooq Azam, an expert of water and electricity affairs.

Following the completion of work on the Salma dam, there are reports of residents of Kunar demanding hydroelectric projects on the rivers in the province including Kunar. Engineer Osman said, “We request the central government to construct dams to irrigate barren lands and produce electricity.”

Meanwhile the two-turbine Kajaki dam, first built in the 1950s, was to be upgraded as part of an effort by Afghanistan’s western allies to win the hearts and minds of people. British troops who were in Helmand province had at great costs including a major battle at Kajaki Sofia, where some 200 people died, taken a turbine obtained by USAID to the dam site. The project has got a new partner. On June 7, the Minister of Energy and Water Ali Ahmad Osmani and a Turkish company signed a memorandum of understanding for the extension of the Kajaki dam output by up to 100 more megawatts. The minister said the dam would produce more electricity than the Salma in Herat. “The project of Kajaki would be completed within three years … (it) would change the area of Kajaki and generate one and a half times the electricity of Salma dam.”