The Iran Project
: A decade after the unilateral control and capture of water resources of Harirud through the Salma dam, Afghanistan’s rulers have built a second barrier on the river, further disrupting the flow of water to Iran and Turkmenistan.
Wednesday 1 January 2025 - 22:00
Story Code : 433644
Source : Press TV
Afghanistan’s politicization of dams against Iran
The Harirud Basin is an international water basin shared between Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan, which has crucially contributed to the livelihood of many people.
When in 2016, Afghanistan officially opened the Salma dam on the upper reaches of the Harirud River, it was said that the dam would cut down the water flow of the river to Iran and Turkmenistan by 73%.
Some 3.4 million Iranians in the northeast rely on the Harirud river basin for water. This includes the population of Mashhad which depends on water pumped 182 km from the Doosti dam jointly built by Iran and Turkmenistan.
Now, the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan say they have started filling the new Pashdan dam built on Harirud near Herat, drawing strong reaction from Iranian authorities for ignoring the country’s customary rights.
The group’s ministry of energy and water says the effort does not end with Salma and Pashdan, and the construction of two other dams on Harirud is also on the agenda.
Reporter : Editorial of The Iran Project
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