The lands authority, Arazi, says work has started on some of the 150 new townships the government has sanctioned. Spread over 109,262 jeribs (21,852 hectares), the townships will house tens of thousands of people.
Years of war and continuing insecurity have triggered an exodus from Afghanistan’s villages. Sayed Saadat Mansoor Naderi, minister for urban development, is reported saying 30 percent of the population is in the cities, and the percentage would rise to 50 percent in the coming two decades. With jobs hard to find, the urban development ministry is hopeful the construction boom will create jobs.
Sixty percent of Kabul’s residents live in rented homes. Saifullah Ibrahimi, employed with a private sector company says, “I spend far too much on rent. But on my salary I cannot afford to buy a house.”
Mohammad Gul Sakhizoy, who works in the Ministry of Education, urges the government to give plots to people like himself who do not own a house. “I rent a house at the top of Kart e Sakhi mountain for 2,000 Afs (30 USD) per month. By the time I climb up the hill I am out of breath. But I cannot afford a house on the road. My salary is just not enough,” he says.
If he had a plot Sakhizoy could have built a two or three-room mud home, and saved on rent. There are Afghans families who have recently returned from neighbouring countries like Pakistan, where they were refugees, who are not able to rent even houses like Sakhizoy’s. Returnees are in tents in the Koshkak area of Paghman district. Killid spoke to Shamsullah who said he got no assistance since his family was not registered with the UN refugee agency UNHCR. “We now live at the mercy of destiny,” he says dreading the coming winter. “Rents are so high that even two rooms are not less than 5,000 Afs (75 USD). We live in a tent.” Tamim Ahmad is yet another resident of the tents in Koshkak. He has three daughters and two sons. He says they stayed in rented premises in Ahmad Shah Baba Mena for a few days after their return from Pakistan. “It was in ruins but I paid 2,000 Afs rent. The owner raised the money and we moved into a tent because I could not pay 3,000 Afs (45 USD). May God help us!”
Banayee and Ghaznawi
These two townships where construction work has started are both in Kabul. Work on Banayee began in 2014, but it soon ground to a halt because of technical problems and shortage of financial resources. It was only on Oct 22 that work restarted with Naderi, the minister of urban development, inaugurating a new phase of construction.
Naderi announced the township, spread over 93 jeribs (20 hectares), would have 40 blocks and 2,200 apartments, in addition to a clinic, school, mosque, green area and kindergarten. “The project,” he promised, “would be handed over for occupation after two years.” Apartment owners are expected to make the full payment in installments spread over 10 years.
Work on the second township, Hakim Sanayee Ghaznawi, has also restarted. The blue-print shows 44 blocks and 1,580 apartments.
Together the investment on the townships is an estimated 11 billion Afs (164 million USD). Meanwhile, the Afghan government has completed a third township called Khuja Rawash, which was valued at 700 million Afs (10 million USD). In September, Minister Naderi inaugurated 312 apartments located in Khushal Khan, Kabul. More apartments are in the pipeline with the promise of funding from Qatar and China.
