IDEA-NEW recently completed rehabilitating the Nahre Karim canal in Qarghaee district, Laghman, handing the management and maintenance of the canal over to the local community. The 17 km canal irrigates 2,000 hectares of agriculture land benefiting 4,250 families.
The canal rehabilitation has ensured irrigation of land that previously had limited access to water. The retaining wall not only protects the canal embankment but also protects 300 families in Tarakhil village who were facing flooding threats during the rainy season.
“Our village is at the end of this canal and water would not reach to that end before, so our crops would dry out,” said Said Wali, a resident of the Ahmadzai village. “Now we have plenty of water and are able to irrigate an additional 500 jeribs of land. We are thankful to IDEA-NEW for this.”
In addition to the long-term impact on agriculture, the 17-month project employed an average of 160 people each day injecting $394,000 into the local community through wages and local procurement of materials such as sand, stones and gravel.
The canal is fed from the Alishang and Alingar rivers and runs through several villages of Qarghaee district. The improvement included construction of 2,910 meters of retaining wall at different points along the canal, installation of 24 small and 3 large water distributors, construction of three culverts to facilitate easy transportation of agriculture products, construction of one new 32 meter supper passage and the improvement of 4 old supper passages.
Wheat, corn, rice, seasonal vegetables and kinds of fruits are grown in the area. The availability of irrigation water will enhance agriculture production and enable farming families to produce more from their lands.
IDEA-East is working to improve agriculture through strengthening irrigation systems and market linkages across eastern, northern and western Afghanistan enabling farmers to produce high-quality fruit and vegetables and bringing in higher incomes.
RTA coverage on IDEA-NEW agricultural activities in Laghman province (1 of 2)
RTA coverage on IDEA-NEW agricultural activities in Laghman province (2 of 2)
Salar Canal (Barya Program) Part 3 of 4
March/April 2013