Kabul residents struggle daily amid severe water shortages and queues

Kabul [Afghanistan], August 11 : Water scarcity continues to be a daily struggle for residents of District 13 in Kabul, where long queues form early in the morning as people seek to secure drinking water for their families, Tolo News reported.

From small children to elderly men, residents of District 13 face immense challenges in accessing clean water. Yar Mohammad, a local resident, told Tolo News, "I come here and take five barrels of water daily, and even that is not enough. Water consumption is very high. Previously, a 1000-Ltr barrel cost 40 Afghanis, now it's 70 Afghanis ($1.1)."

Another resident, Mohammaduddin, urged people to conserve water, stating, "People should not waste water because the water level will drop, and it will harm them," as reported by Tolo News.

Residents appealed to the government for long-term solutions. Bashir Ahmad, a resident, said, "We wander around looking for water. Our request from the government is to pay attention and provide facilities for us."

A child from the area, Mohammad Faiz, added, "I come early in the morning until 11 o'clock. Sometimes our barrels are filled, sometimes they remain empty. We ask the government to help us with a public water tap," according to Tolo News.

Water management experts emphasized the need for coordinated efforts among national and international bodies. Najib Rahman Sadeed, a water affairs expert, said, "Governments, international organizations, the people, and private enterprises must all work in coordination to solve this problem. Projects such as transferring water from the Panjshir watershed, especially now that work is ongoing on the Baghdara Dam, can strengthen this process."

The Ministry of Energy and Water highlighted its efforts to manage water supplies in Kabul. Matiullah Abed, spokesperson for the ministry, stated, "The Ministry has a plan to transfer water from the Shah wa Arus Dam to Kabul. Fortunately, the cabinet of the Islamic Emirate has established a committee led by the Administrative Office, with relevant departments included, and technical work has begun."

Earlier, the state-owned water supply company inaugurated a project to transfer water from the Qargha Dam to a 10,000-cubic-meter reservoir at Kabul Polytechnic University, aiming to ease the water shortage in the capital.

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