EU-Funded Dam Projects Begin in Kandahar Under Taliban Administration

The Taliban-run Department of Agriculture in Kandahar province has announced the launch of two dam construction projects in the Nish and Ghorak districts. These projects are being implemented with financial support from the European Union and have a total budget of 14 million Afghanis.

According to Mohammad Hanif Haqmal, spokesman for the Kandahar Agriculture Department, one dam is being built in the ‘Lioni Dara’ area of Ghorak district, and the other in the ‘Bagha’ village of Nish district. The Ghorak dam, with a capacity of 50,000 cubic meters of water, will cost 11 million Afghanis, while the Nish dam will hold 15,000 cubic meters and cost 3 million Afghanis.

Officials have stated that upon completion, the dams will provide irrigation water to hundreds of hectares of agricultural land across the two districts. Dozens of local residents are also expected to be temporarily employed during the implementation phase. The projects are scheduled for completion within the next four months.

While such projects can contribute to improved agriculture and local economic growth, concerns persist over transparency, quality of implementation, and equitable access to resources under Taliban rule. Oversight bodies warn that the lack of independent monitoring and minimal local participation in decision-making could pose serious challenges to reconstruction and development efforts in remote regions.