The Ministry of Energy and Water said that the construction work of Pashdan Dam in Herat is in full swing and it is 75 percent complete.
The ministry’s spokesman, Matiullah Abid, said that the dam will irrigate 13,000 hectares of land and will have the capacity to produce 2 megawatts of electricity.
He added that the dam will reserve 54 million cubic meters of water.
Officials in the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock also emphasized that water management, especially the construction of dams, will have a great effect on agriculture.
“Investing in the agriculture and livestock sectors is a very big thing and requires huge foreign and domestic investment from the private sector and will have great benefits. At the same time, our country will become self-reliant and excessive imports are prevented. Thousands of jobs will be created for our youth, which can lead to the growth and prosperity of our country,” said Omid Heydari, a member of the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock.
Economic experts also believe that conditions have improved for water management.
“There are huge water sources inside the country. To manage them, the government can play the main role, not the private sector. The private sector can play a role only in some cases. The government should see the plan of the private sector, how it manages, how much fund it has, how much it facilitates job creation and how much land it can irrigate and benefit agriculture,” said Kamaluddin Kakar, an economic expert.