Govt to manage water resources as per international rules

KABUL (Pajhwok): The govement has decided to mange Afghanistan’s water resources in line with inteational rules, President Ashraf Ghani said on Wednesday.

Ghani, who met a special delegation of the Ministry of Energy and Water at the Presidential Palace, was presented a technical study report on the Harirod River zone in weste Herat province, the Presidential Palace said in a statement.

The president praised the study and investigation of the ministry’s technical team and assigned the team with thoroughly studying the Hirmand zone in southe Helmand province as well.

“Afghanistan’s water was earlier distributed traditionally but from now on the country’s water will be organised in compliance with inteational regulations.”

The topic would be also discussed in Cabinet meetings, Ghani said, adding his govement was making its efforts at managing the country’s water with a capable administration to increase irrigation water and produce power.

Ghani said the Ministry of Water and Energy would be provided necessary equipment for studying the country’s water resources and recruiting technical advisers.

Official statistics show in average 58 billion cubic metres of water is produced in Afghanistan but only 30 percent of it is used inside the country and the rest flows into neighboring Iran and Pakistan because of a lack of facilities and infrastructure.

sns/ma