Dahla Dam

History

The Dahla Dam was completed in 1952 when relations between Afghanistan and the United States were beginning to expand. The purpose of the dam was to help farmers in Kandahar Province and provide clean drinking water to the city of Kandahar.

The Dahla Dam is an embankment structure made of earth and rock fill. It is 55 m in height. The length of the dam at the crest is about 535 m. In the periphery of the dam six saddle dams have been built which together measure 2040 m and with varying heights of 15 -. To pass the design flood discharge two spillway structures have been built. To release water for irrigation to the canal system low level sluices have been built at the downstream toe of the dam with two control valves of the Howell-Bunger type which function as energy dissipation bypass valves.

The reservoir created by the dam has a storage capacity of 314 MCM.

Rehabilitation and expansion

After completion of the dam in 1952, it functioned well for many decades. However, the irrigation system and its operation was neglected during the 1980s Soviet occupation. Even before the rehabilitation of dam and canal system could be initiated, as first priority the mines in the rocky areas of the reservoir area had to be cleared which was done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After this operation, a two-phase rehabilitation plan was launched.

On completion of the rehabilitation works by raising the height of the dam and related appurtenant works, and the improvements of the canal system, the volume of available water would be increased from 300 million cubic meters to 484 million cubic meters. This would facilitate irrigation to command areas in the districts of Shah Wali Kot, Arghandab, Zhari, Panjwai, Maiwand, Dand and Daman, and also help in planning and building a hydropower station to generate electricity.

Phase 1

In the first phase the rehabilitation works were carried out by Canada during the period from 2009 to 2012 under the project titled "Arghandab Irrigation Rehabilitation Project" at a cost of nearly $44 million US dollars. Desilting and repairs to 77.6 km of main canal and about 415 km of branch and minor canals, replacement of water valves and erecting gates to improve control over the flow of water supplying to farm fields from the reservoir of the Dahla Dam were carried out.

Phase 2

Raising the height of the dam is seen crucial to increasing the volume of available water, which has reduced to around 290 million cubic meters from about 500 million cubic meters water. The rehabilitation work during this phase involved raising the height of the dam by 8 m, of saddle dams by 5 -, spillways, and modifying structural, hydraulic and electro-mechanical features. The work was initiated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers but then abandoned due to a financial issue with the Afghan government.

Phase 3

It is unknown when the third phase of the project will be completed. In this regard, former deputy Minister of Energy and Water Abdul Basir Azimi stated the following: According to Toryalai Mahboobi, Kandahar basin chief, the reservoir of Dahla Dam would have 950 million cubic meters of fresh water after the third phase of the project is completed.

References

References

1. (2014). "Ambitious development on fragile foundations: Criticalities of currentlarge dam construction in Afghanistan". www.academia.edu.
2. (February 24, 2011). "Dahla Dam reconstruction gives hope to Kandahar farmers". [[Pajhwok Afghan News]].
3. {{YouTube. 1W_FndiqF9A. On the Road - Dahla Dam in Kandahar ([[TOLO (TV channel). TOLO TV]], Jan. 6, 2023) (@39:07)
4. (11 September 2019). "ADB Grant to Improve Water Resources, Enhance Productivity in Afghanistan". [[Asian Development Bank]].
5. (15 November 2014). "Dahla Dam's future at risk as Canada ends work in Afghanistan: report". CBC News.
6. "Project profile: Arghandab Irrigation System Rehabilitation". Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada.
7. Melliger, Joshua. "Identifying and Evaluating Irrigation Dams in Afghanistan". [[Society of American Military Engineers]].
8. (21 January 2015). "The Dahla Dam Project: A Status Update of a USA Funded Project in the Early 1950s for Agricultural Irrigation in the Kandahar Province, Afghanistan". Earth and Environment Science.
9. {{YouTube. naHWKSpjZGI. Afghanistan in the 1950s: Back to the Future [Full Documentary] - [[BBC News]]
10. "The Dahla Dam". [[Morrison Knudsen]].
11. (21 July 2014). "Army Corps of Engineers to raise Dahla Dam and provide water essential to southern Afghanistan". Professional Overseas Contractors.
12. (24 June 2011). "Y--Dahla Dam Improvement Project, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan". Federal Business Opportunities.
13. "Executive Summary - Arghandab Irrigation Rehabilitation Project". Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada.
14. Naadim, Basher Ahmad. (28 June 2015). "Dahla Dam project first phase nears completion". Pajwok Afghan News.
15. (22 May 2021). "Residents call for resumption of work on Dahla dam". Pajhwok Afghan News.
16. (6 July 2018). "Ministry To Invest $450 Million In Kandahar Dam Project". TOLOnews.