Sar-i-Pul City residents want work on canal project resumed

SAR-i-PUL (Pajhwok): Some residents of Qoush Tipa locality in Sar-i-Pul City, the capital of northern Sar-i-Pul province, have demanded the resumption of work on the Sarband of a canal in the area.

Mirwais, a village leader, told Pajhwok Afghan News work on the Sarband of their locality canal which could irrigate 250,000 hectrares land started in 2018 but after five months the work was stopped.

He said the construction company by the launch of reconstruction work cut the water flow as well and from the past five months their areas received no water and all irrigated lands converted to non-irrigated lands.

He explained local farmers harvested 100 tonnes of yield annually but after the water were cut off and they harvested nothing and suffered millions of Afghani in losses.

“We often referred to the Sar-i-Pul River Zone Authority to address our problems but give no positive outcome.

Mohammad Sharif Ameeri, head of the River Zone Authority, said the Excellent Planning Company inked the Qoush Tapa Canal Sarpand construction project at the cost of 61 million afs back in 2018.

He said the company completed 60 percent work on the project and later stopped the work due to security issues.

“The River Zone Authority and local people often asked the company to resume work on the project but it paid no heed to these demands,” he said.

Ameeri said World Bank provided fund for the project and the company had received und for 60 percent work it had carried out.

Sattar Naderi, the Economy Department coordinator, also said 44 projects from the past government remained incomplete in Sar-i-Pul which are included in the current government schemes and work on these projects would be resumed.

The Excellent Planning Company could not reach for comment since its telephone numbers with the River Zone Authority were not active.

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