The Ministry of Water and Power is reportedly not taking due cognisance of Afghanistan's move to build multi-purpose dams on Kabul river, with India's backing. About 90 percent of Afghanistan's land area is located in the five rivers basins namely Panj-Amu Darya River Basin, Northern River Basin, Harirud-Murghab Basin, Helmand River Basin and Kabul-River Basin.
Sources told Business Recorder that the government of Afghanistan is initiating multi-purpose water related projects on the tributaries of Kabul River with assistance from the international community. India, reportedly, is the prime assistant to the government of Afghanistan in this initiative. As per the proposed plan, Afghanistan would benefit hugely whereas on the contrary Pakistan's irrigation system would be impacted adversely-the exact extent of the impact is yet to be assessed by Pakistan's water experts. The total storage capacity of all the five dams would be around 4.7 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 25 percent more than that of Mangla Dam. It is further estimated that the planned dams would utilise 0.5 MAF water to irrigate an additional 14,000 acres in Afghanistan.
Arshad Abbasi, an energy and water sector expert at SDPI, said that technically and legally the government of Afghanistan has the right to utilise water from the Kabul River with a total flow of 21,650 cubic metres. However, River Kunar, which contributes 15,250 cubic metre to the Kabul river, flows from Pakistan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs only acknowledges and negotiates on Kama Irrigation and Hydroelectric projects with the government of Afghanistan. However, to highlight the issue and concerns pertaining to Kabul river projects, the government of Pakistan must engage experts to estimate the expected loss to the irrigation system of Pakistan in case the Afghan government succeeds in building dams on the Kabul river, he added.