Ghani stresses proper water resource management

KABUL (Pajhwok): President Ashraf Ghani, expressing his concern over the depletion of groundwater and its misuse, has stressed the proper management of water resources.

Ghani voiced his concern while chairing a special meeting of the Supreme Council for Water, Land, Urban Development and Environment on Tuesday night.

The source added water resource management was discussed in the special session.

Ghani said work on dams that prevented water from flowing outside the country should be accelerated and the usurpation of state lands in the Kamal Khan Dam area should be prevented and a part of the lands should be used to establish agricultural farms.

After listening to views of the participants, Ghani directed the National Bureau of Water Affairs to work with the ministries of higher education, agriculture, rural rehabilitation, Kabul Municipality and directorate of water resources, research on groundwater protection and management and submit its final draft at a meeting of the High Council for Water, Land and Urban Development.

The president also directed the Kabul Municipality to establish a small network of sewage management systems to prevent the contamination of groundwater in the capital.

Similarly, the National Water Management was tasked with prioritising the reconstruction of the country's major dams.

A plan to use solar pumps to use surface water to irrigate pistachio orchards in Badghis province was also presented to the meeting.

According to the forecast and calculation of the National Water Administration, on 978 hectares of land that will be irrigated, 310977 pistachio seedlings will be planted. After eight years, its annual income will be about 10 million dollars.

sa/mud