KABUL (SW) – The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MoAIL) has announced the completion of an irrigation canal project in the Maiwand district of Kandahar and the initiation of another in central of the province, with a combined investment more than one million dollars.
According to the ministry’s officials, the first canal, spanning 2,500 meters, has been completed in Maiwand district at a cost of $106,000. Simultaneously, construction has begun on a second canal named “Panj Ab,” which will stretch 4 kilometers in central Kandahar, with an estimated cost of $825,000.
Sadr Azzam Osmani, deputy minister at the MoAIL, has stated that the funding for these projects comes from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
He explained: “The canal in Maiwand district will significantly reduce water waste. Today, we commenced work on another canal called Panj Ab, which runs four kilometers from the sixth district of Kandahar city to the outskirts of Panjwai district.”
Osmani also noted that since the beginning of the current solar year, the ministry has initiated various projects across Afghanistan, in collaboration with international aid organizations, worth around $120 million.
Local officials in Kandahar highlighted that the Panj Ab canal has the potential to irrigate 25,000 jeribs (about 12,500 acres) of land while preventing water wastage.
Abdul Salam Baryali, head of the Kandahar Economy Department, remarked: “The Panj Ab canal will directly and indirectly benefit 19,000 people, marking a significant step for the local economy.”
Some residents of the Maiwand district of Kandahar province have welcomed these projects and are calling for further community-benefiting initiatives.
Amir, said, “This canal is highly beneficial; it can prevent water from being wasted. We also have a dam in Maiwand district, and if it is constructed, it can greatly benefit the people.”
Another resident Mohammad Khan, also said, “This canal significantly improves the irrigation; previously, it took six hours to water our fields, but now it only takes four hours.”
Ministry officials assured that, in accordance with the Islamic Emirate leadership’s directive, water check dams will be built in all districts of Afghanistan.
