Rally held for share in river water

Monitoring Desk

ZARAN: A large number of residents have staged a rally in southwestern Nimroz province, seeking their water share in Helmand River. Thousands of protested close to the Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Department.

Abdul Halim, one of the protestors and resident of Chahar Burjak district, told Pajhwok Afghan News a chronic water shortage left their crops parched and livestock dead. Ghulam Nabi, another inhabitant, said: “Every resident has cultivated wheat at a cost of 70,000 to 140,000 afghanis. Unfortunately, our crops are going dry.”

The protestors urged the officials concerned to provide them with their share in the river water to help irrigate their farmlands.

A water management official, who did not want to be named, said in the past 30 percent of Helmand river water, a share of Nimroz people, flowed to Kajaki dam.

Baz M. Nasir, the provincial council head, warned if Nimroz was not given its water share, crops and livestock of Nimroz residents would suffer immeasurably.

Meanwhile, Deputy Governor Sardar said the problem would be taken up with Helmand officials. He hoped a solution would be found.