JALALABD (Pajhwok): Residents of Kama, Khewa, Dar-i-Noor and Behsud districts of eastern Nangarhar province say they have been in shock at the killing of Japanese physician and devoted aid worker Dr. Nakamura, saying his death left the Kunar’s River and Nangarhar deserts orphaned.
They say Dr. Nakamura was the first man who took a lot of benefits from the Kunar’s river and rehabilitated and irrigated some Nangarhar’s deserts.
Dr. Nakamura was gunned down with five Afghans in a roadside shooting a few days back in Jalalabad City, the provincial capital.
His body on Monday arrived in his home prefecture of Fukuoka in southwestern Japan accompanied by members of his family.
Unknown gunmen opened fire at the vehicle of the Peace Japan Medical Service (PMS) chief, who was rushed to a local hospital. The NGO chief came under attack on his way to inspect a project.
The Nangarhar governor today said two suspects had been arrested in connection with the attack on Nakamura.
Dr. Nakamura did a lot of works for development of agriculture, irrigation, healthcare and education and won people’s hearts. His services to the people earned him the nickname ”Uncle Murad.
The aid worker launched construction works on the Marwarid canal in 2003 and rehabilitated deserts into green fields.
The Marwarid canal is situated on the outskirts of Zeri Baba area of Noor Gul district of Kunar province and it waters around 3,000 hectors of land of Khewa district of Nangarhar, creating jobs for thousands of people.
Ali Haidar, a guard of the cannel who worked for 15 years with Dr. Nakamura, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Dr. Nakamura never ordered someone to do a work until he himself first not started it.
The Marwarid canal also irrigates the Gambiri desert in Khekha district especially Salaampor area where there was not a single tree in the past.
Sheen Gul, 60, a resident of Salaampor area, said in the past trees would not grow here due to lack of water.
But he said now the area had completely changed, compared to the past and people’s lives had improved.
Dr. Nakamura with rehabilitation of the mentioned canal established a garden of different fruit bearing and non-fruit trees on 600 acres of land. He also constructed a park in the area and people from different provinces visit the park.
Abdul Wahid, who came to the park from Kabul with his children and parents, told Pajhwok he never imagined Nangarhar would have such a beautiful park as he always heard security news from Nangarhar.
Dr. Ismail Shinwari, a resident of Khewa district, said around one million trees had been planted both sides of the garden and the canal.
He said Dr. Nakamura also constructed a madrasa, mosque, Kashkot canal and retaining walls in Koti and Kachari areas.
Dr. Nakamura constructed water head for Behsud district bringing under irrigation large swaths of land in the area. The system supplies water to 73 villages of Behsud district.
A number of other residents held similar views and said Dr. Nakamura did a lot for them particularly for their lands.
MirwaisYasini, a lawmaker from Nangarhar province, said Dr. Nakamura did for the Kunar river what no other Afghan did.
He said the government had failed to save Dr. Nakamura and stressed the arrest of his killers.
pk/ma
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