Photo taken on Jan. 22, 2022 shows a canal near Kamal Khan dam in Nimroz province, Afghanistan.(Photo by Mashal/Xinhua)
ZARANJ, Afghanistan, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- "This is the first time I have used any water from the Kamal Khan to irrigate my fields," said Bismillah Khan.
The 75-year-old farmer, who lives in the arid Nimroz in western Afghanistan, has unusually high hopes for this year's harvest.
Water from the Kamal Khan dam is irrigating thousands of hectares in Nimroz, perhaps a sign of better things to come for the farmers, who like everyone else in the country, are suffering after 20 years of war compounded by persistent drought.
Neighboring Farah and Herat provinces also benefit from the new water source.
The dam began filling up 10 months ago and has just begun releasing water for irrigation in the past couple of weeks. Most people in Nimroz rely almost entirely on agriculture and water from the dam will obviously help to raise yields.
Farmers have suffered greatly from a two-year drought in Farah, Herat and Nimroz. Around 120,000 people in more than 100 villages now receive the much welcome water from the project.
Construction of the dam began in 1974. The project was paused for almost 40 years until work restarted in 2017.
Holding nearly 54 million cubic meters of water, the dam has the potential to assist in irrigating 180,000 hectares while generating 9 megawatts of electricity.
The Afghan government reportedly has plans to build 22 dams across the country to deal with almost perpetual drought.
"Our thirst for water for our fields been completely quenched by the construction of Kamal Khan dam," said Mohammad Zahir, a farmer whose crops include corn, melons and wheat.
"I am sure I will have plenty of surplus this year to export to other provinces." ■
Photo taken on Jan. 22, 2022 shows a canal near Kamal Khan dam in Nimroz province, Afghanistan.(Photo by Mashal/Xinhua)
Photo taken on Jan. 22, 2022 shows a view with Kamal Khan dam in distance in Nimroz province, Afghanistan.(Photo by Mashal/Xinhua)