Newly-built dam inaugurated in drought-hit Arghistan

KANDAHAR (Pajhwok): Work on a Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation-funded dam in the Arghistan district of southern Kandahar province has been completed and the facility was inaugurated on Wednesday, an official said.

Agriculture Department Head Syed HafeezullahSaeedi said the dam’s construction in the Hawz Babu locality cost 3.8 million afghanis.

He said the dam has the capacity to store 126,000 cubic metres water and it would help improve greenery and provide water for livestock and wild animals.

He said the dam, a source of water for some canals, will irrigate 5,000 acres of land.

The residents of Arghistan district said they were happy over construction of the dam and added 50 percent of their orchards were lost due to drought in recent years.

Haji Khudidad, a tribal elder in the district, said drought caused the underground water level to further plummet and people were unable to irrigate their orchards with available facilities.

He said the dam was the only way to fundamentally resolve the water crisis and demanded the government construct the Lawari Dam as well.

Situated 100 kilometres southeast of Kandahar City, Arghistan district shares border with Pakistan’s Balochistan province and Zabul’s Shar-e-Safa district.

Nh/ma