PM expresses concerns as India vows 2nd Afghan dam
India will build a second Dam in Afghanistan—the Lalandar (Shatoot) Dam—to meet the drinking water needs of the Afghan Capital Kabul, it was announced on Tuesday, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over the increasing violence in the war-torn nation. Speaking on the occasion of the inking of an MoU between the two countries for construction of the Dam, PM Modi called for a ceasefire and an immediate end to violence in Afghanistan, adding that both nations wanted the region to be free from the menace of terrorism and that peace and violence cannot coexist. He reiterated New Delhi’s stand in favour of a peace process that is Afghan-led, Afghanowned and Afghan-controlled, while pointing out how innocent citizens, journalists and activists are being targeted in a cowardly manner in the strife-torn nation.
He added, “It is very important to strengthen internal solidarity among the people of Afghanistan. I believe that a united Afghanistan is capable of facing any challenge.”
The MoU for the construction of the Lalandar Dam was inked in the Virtual format by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Afghan Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar in the presence of PM Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. As PM Modi put it, “Its foundation will not be built only on bricks and mortar , but hinges on the strength of Indo-Afghan friendship. Kabul city is etched in the hearts and minds of the people of India.”
“This is the second major dam being built by India in Afghanistan, after the India-Afghanistan Friendship Dam [Salma Dam], which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister and the (Afghan) President in June 2016,” New Delhi stated.
In a statement, the MEA said, “The (Lalandar) project is a part of the New Development Partnership between India and Afghanistan. The Lalandar [Shatoot] Dam would meet the safe drinking water needs of Kabul City, provide irrigation water to nearby areas, rehabilitate the existing irrigation and drainage network, aid in flood protection and management efforts in the area, and also provide electricity to the region.”
PM Modi also recounted the previous development works carried out by India including in the fields of power transmission lines and road connectivity projects. It may be noted that Tuesday’s pact comes soon after India gifted five lakh doses of India-manufactured Covid vaccine to Afghanistan.