Nangarhar Canal Dept, WFP generate 1,200 work opportunities

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Canal Department in eastern Nangarhar province in cooperation with the World Food Program (WFP) has generated 1,200 work opportunities under the food for work program, an official said on Monday.

The workers under this program have cleaned about 27 kilometers of water canals and streams which help improve the irrigation system, according to local officials.

Canal Department Spokesperson Sayed Humayon Gharibamal told Pajhwok Afghan News that WFP has launched the food distribution program in all provinces and in Nangarhar 1,200 less fortunate persons in Nangarhar were provided job opportunity through this scheme.

Gharibmail said: “After some discussions with WFP officials, their assistance was sought in generating work opportunities against the rehabilitation cleaning of some part of the canal. This helped that some people got work and part of canal was rehabilitated.”

He added that 1,200 workers and some of the canal project officials had the chance to work under this program which succeeded to clean 2,700 kilometers water canal that helped improved the canal system.

Some parts of the canal were not functioning or clogged during the last decade and some of the orchards were damaged but now everything seems functional.

Sayed Agha Miakhel, an engineer of the farm said we succeeded to clean the water channels for irrigation, remove the weeding and unwanted grasses from the orchards of oranges, olives and other forests.

The people who work under the food for work project of WFP are happy about the job opportunities.

Nik Mohammad, a worker in the second farm said, he worked in this project for five months, he had no job for ten months prior to this opportunity.

Sher Rahman, another worker said: “Majority of the workers are the youth, if they are given the chance to work here, they would not turn to drug use or commit crimes like theft, he urged the government to keep the project on”.

The Canal Department in Nangarhar province is has about 11,369 hectares of agricultural land on which citrus, olive, dates, and lemons orchards, chickens and fishes farms and some processing factories had been established.

Aw/nh