India's Modi inaugurates $290m dam in Afghanistan

The 42 megawatt dam is one of two major projects carried out under India's development partnership with Afghanistan


Afp June 04, 2016
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) arrives ahead of the inauguration of the Salma Hydroelectric Dam in Herat on June 4, 2016. PHOTO: AFP

HERAT: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Afghanistan on Saturday to inaugurate a $290 million hydroelectric dam with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, the latest Indian investment which highlights strengthening ties between the two countries.

The 42 megawatt Salma dam in western Herat province, bordering Iran, is one of two major projects carried out under India's development partnership with Afghanistan. India has poured more than $2 billion into the country since the Taliban was toppled from power in 2001.

Modi and Ghani jointly pressed a button to start the turbines at the dam as engineers released colourful balloons in celebration.

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"With the inauguration of the 'Afghanistan-India friendship dam' the first such large Indian-funded project is completed," Ghani said at the ceremony.

"We hope that this will lead to the development of many such projects."

Construction on Salma dam, which will boost Afghanistan's power capacity and help irrigate thousands of hectares of farm land, had been stalled by decades of fighting.

"Afghans and Indians dreamt of this project in the 1970s," Modi said.

"Today the brave Afghan people are sending a message that the forces of destruction, death, denial and domination shall not prevail."

New Delhi, the fifth largest bilateral donor in Afghanistan, has been a key supporter of Kabul's post-Taliban government, a stance that has led analysts to point to the threat of a "proxy war" in Afghanistan between India and Pakistan.



The Salma Hydroelectric Dam pictured at Chishti Sharif in Afghanistan's Herat province on June 2, 2016. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

Pakistan has long been accused of supporting the insurgents in Afghanistan, especially with attacks on Indian targets in the country.

In December, Modi inaugurated Afghanistan's new parliament complex in Kabul, built by India at an estimated cost of $90 million.

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A few days after his visit militants launched a 25-hour gun and bomb siege near the Indian consulate in Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif city.

And in March, Taliban militants fired a barrage of rockets at the parliament complex.

But diplomatic relations between India and Afghanistan have grown despite those attacks.

The two countries recently signed a three-way transit agreement with Iran to develop its southern port of Chabahar, as Modi visited Tehran last month.

The deal, bypassing Pakistan to connect Iran, India, and Afghanistan to central Asia, would boost economic growth in the region, Modi said at the time.

COMMENTS (31)

Pakistan Zindabaad | 7 years ago | Reply Its funny to see so many Indians pouring their senseless comments alongside trying to ignite fire between people of two Muslim countries. Being a proud Pakhtoon and a proud Pakistani we don't mind anyone helping out Afghanistan as no matter how much the dispute is between us Muslims, no external factor can draw a line between us. Indians are too dumb too figure this out, Long Live Pakistan and Long live Muslims ( though we are not on the right track at the moment but we will be soon). Partition was never and will never be a mistake.. A little example is that " You drink Cow's Pee and we slaughter it, sacrifice it and then eat it"... We are way much different and way much cleaner then you indians. Stop being a match stick and concentrate on your own country where mostly people don't even have toilet facilities and yes try to improve your air index quality as well instead of spending zillions of rupees on defense procurement, as these are of no use against a nation and a country who's heart is engraved with Kalmah and with the name of Allah. Pakistan ZINDABAAD, just wait and watch.
Pakistani | 7 years ago | Reply @Deepak Arora: Thank you. Shows your respectable upbringing.
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