KABUL, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Afghan authorities have inaugurated a major hydropower dam in western Herat province, aiming to boost the country's economy and agricultural output, the Ministry of Energy and Water said in a statement on Thursday.
"We aim to manage our water resources efficiently while ensuring the established rights of others. Our objective in water management, alongside other economic priorities, is to strengthen the national economy," Acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said at the inauguration ceremony.
"We see water management as a key measure to reduce poverty, unemployment, and migration," Baradar added.
Built at a cost of 117 million U.S. dollars in the Karukh district, the dam can irrigate 13,000 hectares of farmland and generate nearly 2 megawatts of electricity for nearby villages, according to the ministry.
Standing 74 meters high, the dam has a storage capacity of 54 million cubic meters of water.
Since taking power in August 2021, the Afghan interim government has launched a range of development and infrastructure projects, including dams, water canals, highways, roads, and solar power systems, as part of an effort to rebuild the war-torn country. ■
