Stage set for Salma dam’s handover: Indian ambassador

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Indian ambassador in Kabul has said final preparations for handing over the Salma Dam -- also dubbed as Afghanistan-India friendship dam-- had been completed

Ambassador Manpreet Vohra expressed the views during a meeting with Ali Ahmad Osmani, minister of energy and water, who said the ministry was completely prepared to take charge of the dam.

Earlier, 10 officials of the ministry had been dispatched to India to be trained on how to run affairs of the water reservoir, a statement from Ministry of Energy and Water said.

Osmani said 27 more officials would be provided special training on dam management to responsibility for the project form Indians and the executing company.

Salma Dam is located in the Chesht-i-Sharif locality of Kohistani district, 160km east of Herat City, the provincial capital.

The dam was constructed by an Indian company with the help 700 workers, including 250 Indians. Before the 1978 coup, India plaed to build the dam, but due to insecurity the project was put on hold.

With the fall of the Taliban regime and in 2001, the project contract was signed, under which the facility was to be built in four years. However, insecurity and logistical problems delayed construction work for years.

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