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Communications: Water conservancy projects built with Chinese assistance decades ago are still benefiting the Afghan people

author:Xinhua

Charikah, Afghanistan, 7 Mar (Xinhua) -- Water conservancy projects built with Chinese assistance decades ago are still benefiting the Afghan people

Xinhua News Agency reporter Zou Xuemian

Communications: Water conservancy projects built with Chinese assistance decades ago are still benefiting the Afghan people

This is part of a water conservancy project photographed on February 11 in Afghanistan's Parwan province. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Safrahman Safi)

In early spring in Parwan province in eastern Afghanistan, a little green has appeared in the farmland on the outskirts of the provincial capital, Charikah, despite snow still covered in the mountains in the distance. Thanks to a water irrigation project built in China about half a century ago, there is still a gurgling stream of water during the current dry season to water the red bean seedlings that have just broken through the ground.

Afghanistan's two main rivers, the Panjshir and Gorband, both flow through Parwan province, but the province once lacked irrigation water for local farmland due to a lack of water infrastructure, leaving large tracts of land deserted.

Mohammed Yusuf Azimi, a 58-year-old local, said: "Before the Chinese-assisted water conservancy project opened, people here faced severe water shortages when cultivating their land, and we could only harvest one season of grain a year. ”

Communications: Water conservancy projects built with Chinese assistance decades ago are still benefiting the Afghan people

This is part of a water conservancy project photographed on February 11 in Afghanistan's Parwan province. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Safrahman Safi)

In the sixties and seventies of the 20th century, the Chinese government aided the construction of the Parwan Water Conservancy Project, which can irrigate tens of thousands of hectares of local land, and also provide drinking water and domestic water for people and livestock. The project plays an important role in Afghanistan's economic development and has significant economic benefits, so it is a household name in Afghanistan, and people affectionately call it the "Water for Life Project".

"With canals that China has helped build, we can harvest three crops a year and even grow some vegetables in the winter." Azimi said.

When builders from China built aqueducts in Parwan province, Azimi was a child. "We always felt the kindness of Chinese, and whenever they drove by, they would often get out of the car and give us small gifts." Azimi recalled, with a smile on his face.

Communications: Water conservancy projects built with Chinese assistance decades ago are still benefiting the Afghan people

This is part of a water conservancy project photographed on February 11 in Afghanistan's Parwan province. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Safrahman Safi)

Azimi's childhood friend Karandal was also impressed by the Chinese engineering team decades ago, while his father was involved in the construction of the project. "In the years that followed, my father often told us about the days when he worked with the Chinese engineering team, praising the Chinese engineers for their skill." Karandal said.

"Thank you very much to China for building this canal for us," Kalandal said, "and we were able to harvest wheat, corn and red beans in different seasons, but also raise a few cattle." ”

Mujibur Rahman Habibie, head of the Parwan Gorband River Management Department, said in an interview with reporters a few days ago that the water conservancy irrigation project built with Chinese assistance has been "served" for Parwan for decades, which shows the reliability of the quality of the project.

Communications: Water conservancy projects built with Chinese assistance decades ago are still benefiting the Afghan people

This is part of a water conservancy project photographed on February 11 in Afghanistan's Parwan province. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Safrahman Safi)

"At present, 32,000 families along the project have benefited from it, which shows how important this project is to us in Parwan! We thank China! Habibie said.

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