Construction of 21 irrigation canals in Herat by MAIL

Jawza 24: June 14, 2021
The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), through Second National Priority Program2 (SNaPP2), and community livestock and agriculture project (CLAP) has exploited 15 irrigation canals in Herat and started the construction of 6 more canals.
Abdullah Rahimi, technical employee of (CLAP) in Herat said,” SNAPP2 and CLAP projects have covered 21 irrigation projects since 2017.”
He further said that with construction of these canals, the irrigation of 8,167 hectares of agricultural land has been facilitated and 11,364 families will benefit from it.
The total cost of constructing the mentioned canals is 255 million 786 thousand 526 ANS which is funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
With the construction of these canals, agricultural products in this province will increase and 40% of water waste will be prevented.
These canals were constructed in Zandijan, Guzara, Injil, Ghorian and Karkh districts. The implementation of these projects has also provided employment opportunities for hundreds of people in the province.
Meanwhile, Herat farmers say the growth of country’s agricultural sector is dependent on water, adding that if there is more water, their agricultural activities will expand and their production will be upgraded.
Mohammad Ahsan, one of the beneficiaries of the Chalistan irrigation canal in Karakh district, said, "We are very satisfied with construction of this canal adding that with construction of this canal, water waste has been prevented and 80% of our agriculture has gone up."
"The canals which been constructed have significantly increased our production," said Mohammad Naeem, another farmer whose fields are irrigated through the canal.
Mohammad Qasim, Chalistan Canal Association director, Said” The 3,800-meter-long canal has been constructed and is used by 13 villages, adding that by building this canal, we have several water mills and electric dynamos which are used by local folks.”
The construction of 6 more canals are underway and they are to be exploited by the end of this year.
The Telas village Canal in Guzara district is one of the ongoing projects funded by the Second National Priority Program 2(SNaPP2).
The length of this canal is 6 km and with its construction, 390 hectares of land will be covered by irrigation and 500 families will directly and indirectly benefit from it.
"We are pleased from Ministry of Agriculture and the partner project f construction of this canal. The construction of these canals will be effective and useful in growth of our agriculture," said Yar Mohammad, a resident of the district.
(SNaPP2). And (CLAP) are national programs of the Government of Afghanistan funded by International Fund for Agricultural development (IFAD).
These programs in Herat aim to develop the private sector, promote agriculture and livestock, develop infrastructure, eradicate poverty, improve food security and increase the capacity of rural women in eight districts of the province.