$13m projects executed in Takhar

TALUQAN (PAN in northeastern Takhar province, an official said on Monday.

Benefitting thousands of families, the projects included construction of water reservoirs, retaining walls, irrigation canals and embankment of rivers, said Eng Mohammad Salim Akbar, director of rivers.

He said the projects were executed in Taloqan, the provincial capital, Namak Aab, Dasht Qala, Yangi Qala, Bangi, Baharak, Khwaja Ghar, Rustaq, Kulfgan and Farkhar districts.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News the costly projects included construction of 4.5 kilometres of Taloqan River banks and three bridges on the river at different locations.

Another project enabled 69,000 families to find access to irrigation water for their farmland measuring 56,000 hectares, he said, adding the project offered work opportunities to thousands of area residents.

The projects cost $13 million jointly provided by the Ministry of Water and Energy and donor organizations including Germany Development Support (GIZ), Agha Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the European Union, he said.

Farmers have welcomed the projects. Ghulam Hussain, a farmer in Dasht Qala district, said they had to face several problems in the absence of irrigation canals in the area.

Hussain, who owns 15 acres of land, said his land produced a meager amount of crops land due to the lack of water, hoping to see increased crop production next year.

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