Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announces an agreement on the construction of Shahtoot Dam in Kabul.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S.Jaishankar virtually addressed the Afghanistan 2020 Conference. External Affairs Minister’s participation reflects India’s strong commitment towards sustainable peace and prosperity in Afghanistan.
Shahtoot Dam is a proposed dam in the Kabul river basin, one of the five river basins in Afghanistan. This project will provide drinking, irrigation, and Environmental water for Kabul province. The cost of this project is estimated to be about US$120 to $305 million and the feasibility study of this project cost USD 1.86 million which was completed in 2012. The return per year would be about US$2 million per year. This dam is going to be constructed by India.
The ministry of water and power inked an agreement with the Poyab Company of Iran under which the Iranian firm would complete the design of Shahtoot dam. Speaking on the occasion, the minister for water and power, Mohammad Ismael Khan said the Shahtoot dam will provide potable water to more than 2 million residents of Kabul, in addition to the irrigation of 4000 hectares of land in the district of Charasiab and Khairabad. The dam will also provide drinking water to the first phase of the New City at Dehsabz.
Impact of Shahtoot Dam
- Supply irrigation water for about 10,000 ha of existing agricultural land.
- Supply drinking water for around 2 Million people in Kabul city
- Provision of environmental flow in the river flowing in the Kabul city
- Recharge of ground water for drinking purposes in Kabul ground water aquifer.
- Contribution to the national food security (production of more crops, fishery and industry)
- Promotion of tourism industry
- Increase in job opportunities and income.
Source: Wikipedia, MEA India.
