Afghanistan inaugurates India-funded hydropower dam

Visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani jointly inaugurated an India-funded hydropower dam in the country's western province of Herat on Saturday.

The two leaders joined hundreds of Afghan and Indian officials at a ceremony held in Herat city, capital of Herat province, to launch the operation of Salma Dam, the largest infrastructure project since the fall of Taliban in 2001, which is also called Afghan-Indian Friendship Dam.

"Inauguration of the Afghan-Indian Friendship Dam is a historic moment of emotion and pride in the relations between Afghanistan and India," Modi said at the inauguration ceremony.

The dam, built on Harirod River in Chishti Sharif district, east of Herat city, is capable of irrigating 80,000 hectares of agriculture land and producing 42 megawatts of power, bringing light to more than 250,000 families in the province.

"This is a project that will irrigate lands and light up homes. The dam is a generator of optimism and belief in the future of Afghanistan," Modi added.

The Indian prime minister said that India supports Afghan government's efforts to promote peace, stability and development in the country and will deepen cooperation with Afghanistan in various fields.

President Ghani expressed gratitude for India's assistance to the country's reconstruction efforts.

The reconstruction of Salam Dam was first initiated in 1970s but the prolonged conflicts in the country have deterred efforts to complete the project. In 2006, India committed to funding the completion of the project.

"Today, with India's help, an old dream of Afghan people is realized after 40 years of waiting. On behalf of the people of Afghanistan and the Afghan government, I'd like to express sincere thanks to the Indian people and the government for providing assistance to Afghanistan," Ghani said at the event.

The dam consists of a rockfill wall of 550 meters in length. The height of the structure is some 107 meters.

Observers believe the 290-million-U.S.-dollar project will boost economy and agriculture in the land-locked country.

India has contributed more than 2.2 billion U.S. dollars to Afghanistan since 2002.

The Afghan security forces were deployed in all sensitive roads in the city, 640 km west of Kabul, to ensure security during the ceremony

source : xinhua