Ghazni residents constructing dam on self-help basis

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): On self-help basis, residents of the Jaghori district in southern Ghazni province have started construction of a water dam that will cost 18 million afghanis.

The small dam is being constructed in Zerak area of Jaghori district where most residents are associated with farming and livestock. The residents say they recently faced with water shortage.

The residents say beside physical work, they contributed money to construct the reservoir  in order to solve the water scarcity issue.

Tribal elder from Zerak area Mohammad Ali Hassanyar told Pajhwok that local people had started constructing the small water dam to deal with the water shortage problem.

He hoped the dam would address their water shortage issue to some extent. The elder said local residents would use the dam’s water to irrigate their farms.

Another resident, Zakria, said the dam would prevent floods and irrigate crops. He said the water level in the reservoirs was decreasing each day and residents were facing shortage of water.

He said the only option to resolve the water shortage issue was to build the dam. He was happy that local residents had practically started construction of the dam on their own expenses.

Technical Adviser at Ghazni River Sub Basin Mohammad Nazeer told Pajhwok  the dam would be 15 meters high, nine meters wide and 22 meters long.

He said the dam was being constructed by local people using their own money and resources. It would have the capacity to store 93000 cubic meters of water, produce three kilowatts of electricity and irrigate 380 hectares of agricultural land.

He said the project would benefit 385 families directly and the Ghazni river sub-basin would only carry out monitoring activities.

He said two canals would also be constructed to carry water from the dam to irrigate lands and 50 people including the site engineer would be  employed on the scheme. He said construction of the dam would take six months to complete.

Six months ago, local residents on self help basis constructed two check dams in Ghazni city and Qarabagh district.

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