Taliban Inaugurates “Shah wa Arous” Dam Completed Under the Previous Government

Taliban officials have inaugurated the “Shah wa Arous” dam in the Shakardara district of Kabul.

This dam’s construction was finalised during the tenure of the previous government, with water storage operations commencing prior to the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. The project was completed at a cost of $52 million, funded by the national budget of the former Afghan administration.

According to the Taliban’s Ministry of Water and Energy, the dam stands 77 metres tall and has an annual capacity to regulate 30 million cubic metres of water. The “Shah wa Arous” dam is expected to irrigate between 2,700 and 3,500 hectares of agricultural land while also supplying 5 million cubic metres of drinking water.

The dam is equipped with the capacity to generate 1.2 megawatts of electricity. Construction initially began in 2012 but experienced significant delays due to a variety of challenges.

During the inauguration ceremony, Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, hailed the dam’s completion as a testament to the group’s commitment to Afghanistan’s development.

Mullah Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, underscored water management and energy development as key priorities for the Taliban administration. Furthermore, Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, praised the project’s completion as a meaningful advancement in Afghanistan’s efforts to manage its water resources.