Ghazni, Paktia residents want Sarda Dam promoted to national Park

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): Some residents of southern Ghazni and southeastern Paktia province have demanded the historic Sarda Dam to be promoted to the status of national park.

According to the resident the move would help promote economic activities in the area as well as help attract more visitors.

During public holidays and other days thousands of people from different provinces of the country arrived in the Sarda Band area for sightseeing and enjoyment.

Built in 1967, the Sarda Dam has the capacity to store 260 million cubic water, the reservoir is situated between Paktika and Ghazni provinces and southeast to Andar District.

Two major canals —- one 30 kilometres long and another 21 kilometres long —extended from Sarda Dam and more small canals extended from the two major canals that irrigated 75,000 acres of land.

Although, the dam helped irrigated thousands acres of agriculture land but local resident said the area held the potential of more economical benefits which needed to be exploited to help the local residents economically.

Abdul Jameel Waqar and Nasratullah Nasrati, the residents of Mullah Gulan area, told Pajhwok Afghan News promoting the Sarda Dam as a national park would have positive economic impact and also improve the image of the dam.

The said: “Recent rainfall brought happiness on everyone face but unemployment had jumped in the country and if this place is named as national park it will have a positive impact and help generate jobs.”

The promotion of Sarda Dam will help attract more tourists, including foreigners. In addition, thousands of youth would be able to find job opportunities as well.

Another local resident said that this dam has historic importance as well. Close to the Dam there was an orchard that belonged to Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi and currently it is named as Sultan Bagh, in addition the Mursalli hill where Ahmad Shah Baba used to visit for hunting can be seen from far-flung areas of Ghazni and Paktia.

Since the historic Sarda Dam is situated close to Paktika province so its residents also demanded the dam to be promote to the national park status.

Nasim Sawdagar, the resident of Paktika, said that the people of Ghazni and Paktia wanted the promotion of Sarda Dam as national park.

He added it was not the only demand of Ghazni people but the people of Paktika also have the same demand and stressed that Sarda Dam being a national Park would help promote the area economically and the people of Paktia and other provinces could also benefit.

Haji Jumma Taraki, a businessman and head of the Money Changers Union, said the promotion of Sarda Dam to national park would have multiple benefits.

Investment on this facility would have multiple advantages. Here are businessmen in Ghazni who have interest to invest in Sarda Dam if the government is interested and give then land.

The move would help generate jobs, sent water to more barren lands and generate more revenue for the government and help people economically, he added.

Local officials hailed public recommendations for the promotion of Sarda Dam and said over 20 businessmen provided with their strategies and they had shared them with the central government.

Mawlavi Asadullah Mansuri, the provincial river zone head, told Pajhwok Afghan News recently a government delegation arrived in the province to inspect the water baisin of Sarda Dam and its area. The move would help stop the usurpation of the land around the Dam and prepare the area for the private sector investment.

He said foreign investors also showed interest in investment in Sarda Dam but they will give preference to Afghan investors first.

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