Drought-hit Uruzgan farmers demand dam’s construction

TIRINKOT (Pajhwok): A number of farmers in central Uruzgan province are concerned about the ongoing drought and ask the government to construct the Agha Jan dam in Chinatu district of the province.

Ismatullah, a farmer in Tirinkot, told Pajhwok Afghan News he planted wheat on one and a half acres of land, but he was worried if did not rain, he would harvest nothing.

Wali Mohammad, another farmer in Chori district, also mentioned the same problem and hoped they would get yield from wheat.

He said: “I have sown wheat, but I do not expect it to give yield due to lack of rain and the rivers have also dried up.”

He added the underground water level had also decreased due to the drought and increasing number of deep wells.

He feared if the government did not address the problem of irrigation water, hundreds of acres of agricultural land would be ruined in the district.

Meanwhile, some residents asked the government to construct the Agha Jan dam in the province.

Sher Mohammad, a farmer, said the dam was vital for the residents of the province, especially farmers.

He said if the dam was constructed, it would solve the problem of water scarcity.

On the other hand, Maulvi Abdul Manan Farooqi, spokesman for Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock Department, said that if the current dry spell continued, seventy percent of crops grown in the province would not give yield.

He said the Agha Jan dam’s construction could resolve the problems of farmers. He said one check dam each would be constructed in six districts of the province.

He added construction work on six check dams had been launched in six districts of the province.

kk/ma

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