Pashdan a key national project, says Baradar

HERAT (Ariana News): Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister for economic affairs, has said the Pashdan Dam in Herat province is a key national project that the Islamic Emirate is committed to completing as soon as possible.
Speaking at an event marking the resumption of construction on this hydroelectric dam, which was started more than 10 years ago, Baradar said building dams was a priority for the Islamic Emirate.
Once complete the Pashdam Dam will not only generate electricity but also irrigate about 65,000 hectares of agricultural land, in turn providing work to thousands of people.
The dam will cost an estimated $117 million once finished and according to officials, at least 85% of work has been completed.
Officials expect the dam to be operational by the end of this solar year.
The construction of Pashdan Dam is being carried out by a domestic company in cooperation with an Azerbaijani company.
Engineers said the dam will mostly be used for agriculture purposes and for potable water. They also said about 73 kms of canals will be built to irrigate land.
This dam will store 54 million cubic meters of water. Currently, about 400 people are employed to work on the project.