Salma Dam
Encyclopedia
Salma Dam is an under construction hydroelectric and irrigation dam
project located on the Hari River in Chishti sharif District
of Herat Province
in western Afghanistan
.
Salma dam was originally constructed in 1976 on the Hari river basin, but was damaged early during the Civil war in Afghanistan
. The reconstruction of the dam was first initiated by an Indian
company (WAPCOS Ltd.) in 1988, but the project was left incomplete for a significant period of time due to the ongoing instability caused by the civil war. In 2006, India committed to funding the completion of the Salma Dam at an estimated cost of $200 million. The dam is scheduled to reopen in September 2011. Once completed, the hydroelectric plant would produce 42 megawatts of power in addition to providing irrigation for 75,000 hectares of farmland (stabilizing the existing irrigation of 35,000 hectares and development of irrigation facilities to an additional 40,000 hectares of land).
are attempting to stop work on the dam project, which would reduce the flow of river water into Iran
. According to the local Afghan National Police
of the area, Iranian government is funding local Taliban chiefs to oppose construction of the dam. In 2009, a parliamentarian from Kabul Province
, Najibullah Kabuli accused Iran of interfering in the construction of the Salma Dam.
When the governor of Chishti sharif district
, Abdulqudus Qayam, was killed along with five security officials in mid-January 2010, the Afghan media called it an insurgent attack. The Taleban accepted responsibility, but many in Herat saw it as part of a wider problem the province is having with Iran. Abdulqudus Qayam had been instrumental in pushing the construction of the dam.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
project located on the Hari River in Chishti sharif District
Chishti sharif District
Chishti Sharif District is the most easterly district in Herat Province, Afghanistan, situated along the Hari River and one of its northern tributaries. It borders with Obe District to the west, Badghis Province to the north and Ghor Province to the east and south. The population was estimated at...
of Herat Province
Herat Province
Herat is one the 34 provinces of Afghanistan; together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the South-western region of the country...
in western Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Salma dam was originally constructed in 1976 on the Hari river basin, but was damaged early during the Civil war in Afghanistan
Civil war in Afghanistan
The Afghan civil war began when the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan took power in a military coup, known as the Saur Revolution, on 27 April 1978. Most of Afghanistan subsequently experienced uprisings against the unpopular Marxist-Leninist PDPA government. The Soviet Union...
. The reconstruction of the dam was first initiated by an Indian
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
company (WAPCOS Ltd.) in 1988, but the project was left incomplete for a significant period of time due to the ongoing instability caused by the civil war. In 2006, India committed to funding the completion of the Salma Dam at an estimated cost of $200 million. The dam is scheduled to reopen in September 2011. Once completed, the hydroelectric plant would produce 42 megawatts of power in addition to providing irrigation for 75,000 hectares of farmland (stabilizing the existing irrigation of 35,000 hectares and development of irrigation facilities to an additional 40,000 hectares of land).
Iranian involvement
Some Afghans believe that politicians in IranPolitics of Iran
The politics of Iran take place in a framework of theocracy guided by an Islamist ideology. The December 1979 constitution, and its 1989 amendment, define the political, economic, and social order of the Islamic Republic of Iran, declaring that Shi'a Islam of the Twelver school of thought is...
are attempting to stop work on the dam project, which would reduce the flow of river water into Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. According to the local Afghan National Police
Afghan National Police
The Afghan National Police - ANP - is the primary national police force in Afghanistan. It serves as a single law enforcement agency all across the country. The Afghan police force was first created with the establishment of the Afghan nation in the early 18th century...
of the area, Iranian government is funding local Taliban chiefs to oppose construction of the dam. In 2009, a parliamentarian from Kabul Province
Kabul Province
Kābul , situated in the east of the country, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. The capital of the province is Kabul City, which is also Afghanistan's capital. The population of Kabul province is 3.5 million people as of 2009, of which almost 80 percent live in the urban areas...
, Najibullah Kabuli accused Iran of interfering in the construction of the Salma Dam.
When the governor of Chishti sharif district
Chishti sharif District
Chishti Sharif District is the most easterly district in Herat Province, Afghanistan, situated along the Hari River and one of its northern tributaries. It borders with Obe District to the west, Badghis Province to the north and Ghor Province to the east and south. The population was estimated at...
, Abdulqudus Qayam, was killed along with five security officials in mid-January 2010, the Afghan media called it an insurgent attack. The Taleban accepted responsibility, but many in Herat saw it as part of a wider problem the province is having with Iran. Abdulqudus Qayam had been instrumental in pushing the construction of the dam.